Love Reawakened
by Predec2
Summary: Things have not been the same since a new addition arrived in the Taylor-Kinney household. Will the spirit of Christmas help produce a much-needed miracle? *THIS STORY IS NOW COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: QAF and its characters are the sole property of Showtime and Cowlip Productions; no copyright infringement is intended.

* * *

This story is close to completion, so I thought it was safe to start posting it now. I will be updating it regularly until it is complete; should be 6, 7 chapters in all? Hope you all enjoy it! Thanks to my beta, Boriqua522, not only for looking this over, but for the plot bunny.;)

* * *

_Palms Hotel & Suites - Long Beach, CA - December 22 - Mid-Evening_

"Are you sure that's all it is?" Justin asked worriedly as he paced slowly back and forth on the suite's balcony while he talked on his cell; despite the million-dollar view in front of him, his mind was too preoccupied with what his mother was telling him at the moment to really notice it.

"Yes, Sweetheart, I'm sure," Jennifer replied patiently. "It's just a little colic, that's all. You had it as a baby, too. And...I think he probably misses his daddies. He'll be just fine."

Justin swallowed hard as he looked down at the wallpaper on his phone, displaying one of his favorite photos of Shay. It was taken a few weeks ago, right after he had begun to start crawling a little. He had discovered the mirror in his and Brian's master bedroom then, and had chortled and gurgled with delight when he had caught his reflection in the mirror. His blue eyes had lit up with joy as he proceeded to play peek-a-boo with the 'other baby,' causing Justin to run to retrieve his cellphone to record it for posterity. Brian was always teasing him about how he would soon be running out of storage space on his phone, but he couldn't help it. He knew moments like those would quickly rush away, never to be seen again, and he was determined to record them while he could.

"Are you sure?" he whispered to his mother. "No fever?"

"Not a bit," she assured him. Justin could hear his and Brian's son fussing in the background. "He's just a little cranky," she explained as she held the baby in her arms, the cordless handset propped in the crook of her neck as she lightly jiggled him. "I think he's tired, but fighting going to sleep, just like some other little boy I used to know. I'll rock him in the glider rocker upstairs; that always seems to soothe him. Please try not to worry, Justin. He'll be fine until you and Brian get back. You know how he can get sometimes."

Justin sighed as he nodded. "I know," he told her. "But it's the first time we've ever been away from him." He missed his son so badly. He missed his baby-powder smell, his infectious giggles when he blew raspberries on his stomach, his smile when he looked up mesmerized by the ceiling fan in his nursery, and the soft cooing noises he made in the morning from his crib in the room next to their master bedroom, right after he first woke up. He missed the funny faces he makes whenever he tries to feed him something new that he doesn't like, and he missed the way his chubby, little legs kicked and splashed around in his sink-top bathtub when he gave him a bath. _Shay loves to see how much water he can throw into my face, it seems,_ he thought with a smile. Most of all, though, he missed doing what his mother was about to do - rocking his child to sleep at night as he held him securely in his arms and watched his fine-lashed, golden eyelids slowly flutter closed while he listened to his soft pants of breath before he succumbed to sleep. "I know he's in good hands with you."

He turned around then to peer through the open balcony entryway as he heard the suite's door being opened, observing a sullen-looking Brian returning from his appointment with the head of Seaver Sports Equipment. He watched as Brian promptly ditched his tie and jacket, draping them across the back of a nearby, overstuffed chair, before walking over to pour himself a drink from the portable bar. He grimaced; that was not a good sign.

"Uh, Mom, Brian just got back. I guess I'd better go," he told her regretfully, suddenly feeling like a horrible father, even though he knew he wasn't doing anything wrong. When he had first thought about becoming a father, he never realized what a major guilt trip could be laid upon your shoulders merely by being away from your child, but he was quickly finding out how painful it could be. "Will...Will you give Shay a kiss from me? And from Brian, too?"

"Of course, Honey," she assured him. "Give Brian my best, and I'll see you both tomorrow, then. I hope you trip has been both productive as well as restful for the both of you. I know you needed it."

Justin watched as Brian walked over and dropped his long, lanky body onto the couch with a grunt as he belted back a good amount of his whiskey. He sighed. "Well, I'm done with my commission, and I picked up the check today," he told his mom. "Brian just got back from his pitch to his potential client." He lowered his voice. "But I'm not sure by the look on his face if he was successful or not."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Justin. But at least the two of you were able to get some time alone, though," she pointed out. "I'm sure that had to be a welcome respite. Raising a baby can be a challenge at times, especially for new parents, no matter _how_ much you love them."

Justin knew that only too well. When Brian had agreed to bring a new child - Justin's biological child by a surrogate - into the house, it had been one of the happiest times of his life. The joy, the anticipation, of waiting for their child to be born had been such a happy one as they talked about what to name the baby and how to install a door that led into the adjoining, smaller bedroom next to their master suite that would become their son's nursery. Brian had left all the decorating up to him (within reason - he had told him unequivocally NO cowboy motifs allowed), and he had thrown his heart and soul into the job.

Once Shay had been born eight months ago, however, reality had kicked in, along with several rounds of sleepless nights, no sex, and just plain, hard work as they made sure their child was warm, fed, and loved. For yes, he was definitely loved by both of them. But the strain of caring for a newborn, along with a period of unprecedented client activity at Kinnetik - and Justin's insistence that he take care of Shay personally and not with some stuffy nanny or au pair - had caused a rift in his and his husband's normal routine. They still loved each other deeply; but the intimacy they had shared before was definitely becoming more and more difficult to sustain. When Justin had unexpectedly wound up receiving a lucrative commission from a prestigious Los Angeles area client who was a friend of Brett Keller's, it was too good an opportunity to turn down, since it would provide him with a chance to make his artwork known on the West Coast. And Brian offering to go with him in hopes of wooing the Seaver Sports Equipment account - one he had had his eye on for a long time, ever since they branched out on the East Coast - seemed like a perfect time for them to be alone for a few days and hopefully rekindle their relationship. Still, he missed their child terribly, and there seemed to be something remiss lately between him and Brian; some spark that wasn't quite there.

"Justin? You still there?"

Justin blinked, realizing he had temporarily zoned out. "Yeah, Mom, I'm still here." He brushed his hand through his hair, looking over at Brian who seemed to be staring out into space. "Look, I really need to get going. We'll see you at home tomorrow."

"Okay, be careful," Jennifer told him. "By the way, the weatherman says we're supposed to get some snow tomorrow, so I'm glad you've got the SUV parked at the airport here. Sounds like we're going to have a white Christmas; I remember how you used to fret about where Santa was going to park his sleigh on the roof if there wasn't any."

Justin laughed. "Mom! I was five years old then!" He had to smile, though; truthfully, he still felt like it wasn't really Christmas without snow. Perhaps their being in such a warm climate, along with the fact that he missed his son terribly, accounted for his somewhat melancholy mood at the moment. "Thanks for taking care of Shay, Mom," he told her softly. "I love you. And don't forget to give Shay a kiss from his dads."

"I won't, Honey. Love you, too. See you tomorrow. Bye."

"Bye, Mom."

* * *

Justin took a deep breath before he turned around and headed back into the suite. He walked over to pour himself a drink before sitting next to a sullen-looking Brian on the couch. "It didn't go well?" he asked as he nursed his glass in his hand.

"What makes you think that?" Brian replied sarcastically as he gulped down the rest of his whiskey. He slammed the squat glass down onto the coffee table. "Don't I look ecstatic to you?"

"Brian..."

"They laughed, Justin! They fucking _ridiculed_ my boards! Can you believe that? Do you know how long my art department worked on those to get them just right? They were perfect. They were contemporary, fresh, and edgy. They would have made that company a fucking mint. But they were too shallow to see that."

Justin bit back his urge to tell Brian how sorry he was and that if they were that dense they weren't worth his time; that there would be others more deserving coming down the pike. After all, Kinnetik was certainly doing well enough - _more_ than well enough - that Brian really didn't need the account, at least from a financial perspective. But he knew Brian would resent that if he said it aloud, and he would see it as patronizing.

For some time now, Brian had slowly been ceding more and more control of his clients to his close confidantes - Ted and Cynthia, who had been promoted to a junior sales associate position, and a couple other talented advertising executives who had been with Brian since the Ryder days. Except for the rare, stubborn client who insisted on Brian handling their accounts, he didn't actively involve himself much any longer in most accounts, old OR new, other than to offer up guidance and advice when solicited and to oversee all aspects of a smooth acquisition.

But this account was different. Much like the Brown Athletics account had meant to _his_ boss years before, this account had eluded Brian for years despite his best efforts, so his ability to successfully bring it under the Kinnetik advertising umbrella would have been a matter of immense pride to him. The fact that he hadn't been able to succeed, then, must be hurting his ego like crazy, leaving him doubting his ability to dominate the advertising market like he normally did.

So instead of commiserating aloud with his husband, he reached over and took Brian's hand in his. "We have one more night before we have to go back home," he reminded him. "Why don't we go out and grab a bite to eat and come back early?" His voice lowered as he told him, "I promise I'll make you forget all about the Seaver account." He leaned over to playfully nip Brian's lower earlobe where he was particularly sensitive, but rather than receiving the obligatory, customary groan in response or a kiss for his efforts, Brian abruptly stood up instead, almost making Justin fall over onto the couch where he had just been sitting.

"Brian?"

"I'm going out for a while," Brian told him flatly. "Better finish packing; our plane leaves first thing in the morning. I'll print out the boarding passes downstairs. Don't wait up." Without looking back, Brian grabbed his hotel key card and headed toward the door.

Justin stared over at the door as it softly closed behind his husband and sighed. What in the hell had happened to them? Brian never used to resist any sexual overtures on his part. But that was before the baby had been born, and they had had to completely readjust their lives around him. He never regretted for one moment the birth of their son, and deep down he knew Brian felt the same way. But he also longed for the time when they could be alone and rekindle their passion with each other. He and Brian were in the same bed, night after night, but he still _missed_ him. He missed their lovemaking and their closeness. He missed just snuggling with him after they had sex and lying in each other's arms, discussing what had happened that day, no matter how insignificant or small. He missed their slow, leisurely fucks in the shower each morning. Lately Shay was up so early that they could barely _take_ a shower, let alone spend obscenely long amounts of time in one.

Raising his knees to his chest, he wrapped his arms around his body and lightly rocked back and forth, imaging it was Brian's arms around him instead.

* * *

Two hours later, Justin finally went to bed, having packed up everything he could except for what he would need in the morning before their early-morning flight, and after checking his emails and watching a little news. With it being so close to the holidays, they would have to leave via limo no later than seven a.m. in order to arrive at LAX in sufficient time to make it through security. He drifted off into slumber, but without Brian there it was a light, restless type of sleep.

It wasn't surprising, then, that he was able to hear the soft click of the suite's main door shortly after one a.m. and the soft shuffle of his husband's footsteps treading into the bedroom, followed by the rustle of clothing as Brian disrobed. His back to his husband, he felt the dip in the bed, just before a muscular arm slid around his waist and a familiar, warm body spooned up against his.

He felt Brian's breath on his neck as he heard him admit simply, "I was a prick earlier." It wasn't quite an out-and-out apology, but it was the closest he knew he would come to getting one. He also knew that Brian somehow realized he hadn't been asleep.

Placing his left hand over his husband's, Justin snuggled deeper into Brian's embrace as a tacit acceptance of his pseudo-apology. He felt a light kiss just below his ear before the two of them drifted off into sleep together.


	2. Change of Plans

_Another disappointment arises; but will it be a curse or a blessing?_

* * *

_Six a.m. - Next Morning_

"Justin."

Justin felt Brian gently shaking his shoulder as he struggled to wake up, squinting in the glare from the nightstand lamp now glowing nearby. "What time is it?" he groggily asked, his voice still choked from sleep.

"Six o'clock," Brian told him as he leaned down to give him a brief kiss on his forehead. "Better get up and get ready."

To his disappointment, Justin noticed that Brian had already showered; he was wearing one of the hotel's white, terry cloth robes and his hair was wet. _When had they stopped taking showers together?_ he wondered.

Nodding his head, he slowly rose from the bed, pulling back the covers. Shivering slightly in the coldness of the room, he reached for the other robe lying at the end of their bed and slipped it on as Brian turned to walk back out into the living room area, no doubt in search of his morning coffee fix. There used to be a time when that came after they had a nice, long, leisurely fuck first, either in bed, the shower, or both. Now, however, that apparently hadn't even entered his husband's mind. Glancing down briefly at his gleaming, platinum wedding band, he let out a sigh as he walked over to the adjacent bathroom and turned the water on.

* * *

_Twenty Minutes Later_

"Fuck!"

Justin frowned as he held his hairbrush in mid-air; he was dressed now in a pair of jeans and a long-sleeved, cream and navy pinstriped shirt as he stood in front of the dresser mirror. "What is it?" he called out to Brian, who was in the living room. He could hear the television turned on low, but couldn't make out what the man was saying. He looked up as Brian came walking into the bedroom, his cellphone clutched in his hand and a scowl on his face.

"There're ten inches of snow in Pittsburgh, and the fucking airport is closed! I just checked; our flight's been cancelled!"

Justin's mouth hung open in dismay. "No!" he wailed. "Brian, we've _got_ to get back home! We'll miss Shay's first Christmas! There has to be another flight we can take."

Brian shook his head. "Justin, it doesn't matter which airline you check. They're all grounded until the weather clears up. I'll call down to the front desk and see if we can extend our stay until the airport opens back up."

Justin felt tears prickling the back of his eyes as he thought about being apart from Shay for his first Christmas. He had so many presents to give him, and was looking forward to seeing the excitement in his eyes when they lit up the Christmas tree lights and the ones adorning the mantle and the staircase at Britin. He knew they would look so incredible outside, too, reflected in the snow. It would be a picture-perfect setting; if only they could get there to see it. "But it's three days before Christmas, Brian! We HAVE to get back home!"

"Justin, I can't just wiggle my fucking nose and make the snow disappear and clear the runways! What would you have me do? I hate to disappoint you, but I'm really _not_ Rage."

"Nothing," Justin responded woodenly as he turned around and headed back toward the bedroom. "I expect nothing at all." He slumped down onto the end of the bed as he heard Brian once more exiting their suite, hanging his head in defeat and thinking of their son, alone without his parents on his first Christmas.

* * *

Sitting in an overstuffed, orange/red chair a few minutes later and sketching a vision of what he thought Shay might look like amidst the Christmas finery at home, Justin didn't hear Brian returning until he spoke.

"Get up."

Justin lifted his eyes to glare over at his husband. "Why? We're not going anywhere."

"No, we're not if you don't get your ass up. I've rented an SUV. Get your things; we're checking out."

Justin's eyes widened in surprise. "You...you rented an SUV? We're going to _drive_ back home?"

Brian rolled his eyes. "No, it's a hybrid - part car, part boat; we'll go by water when necessary."

"Asshole." But Justin's eyes lit up with hope. Perhaps there was a chance they _could _get home in time after all. "But what about the roads?"

Brian sighed deeply. "Justin, do you want to be home for Christmas or not? This is our only shot, and it's a four-wheel drive. It takes about a day and a half to get there if we drive straight through in good weather, so we have a one-day cushion just in case. So what's it going to be? Your choice."

Justin bolted off the bed; he didn't have to be asked twice. Impulsively he wrapped his arms around Brian's neck and pulled him close. "Thank you, Brian," he told him, his voice choked with emotion. He felt Brian hesitate for a moment before he slid his arms around him to hold him closer. It felt so damn good. He nuzzled Brian's neck before lifting his face to peer into Brian's eyes, their lips so close he could feel his husband's breath.

Brian nodded before he leaned down to give Justin a brief kiss on the lips. "Better get your stuff," he told him softly. "We need to get going."

Justin hid his disappointment as Brian broke off their kiss and turned to locate his duffel bag. "Rental SUV's right out front," he told him. "I'll go check out while you gather up the rest of your things."

Justin nodded as Brian turned to go, hopeful that they would, indeed, get home in time for their son's first Christmas and wondering if their long ride home might also be a chance for them to finally clear the air about some things and get to know each other all over again.

* * *

Befitting Brian's normal penchant to overdo things, the rental SUV wound up being a monstrous one, way too big for the two of them, but it was four-wheel drive and equipped with deep-treaded tires. No doubt he had obtained it at a good price, too, since Justin couldn't imagine normally needing such a vehicle in a warmer climate.

Brian snorted from the driver's side as Justin struggled to climb up into the tall vehicle and get settled in. "Need a step stool, Sunshine?" he asked as Justin grabbed the overhead handle and finally managed to scoot into the seat next to him. He dropped his duffel bag onto the back seat alongside Brian's after extracting his sketchpad and pencil box and placing them on his lap.

"No thanks," was the dry response as Brian started up the car and slowly pulled out to begin their multi-hour journey back home. Looking down, he noticed a plain, white paper bag on the floor next to his feet. "What's that?"

Brian looked straight ahead as he threaded the large vehicle into the congested traffic. "Couple of bagels," he told him without glancing over. "Cappuccino's in the cup holder."

Justin was touched by Brian's thoughtfulness. "Thanks," he murmured as he stooped down to pick up the bag and reach inside to grab one of the warm, toasted bagels and some cream cheese. Brian nodded as they continued toward the outskirts of town, heading toward the first toll road leading eastward.

* * *

The first hour passed rather quietly then, with Brian concentrating on navigating around the heavy, interstate traffic while Justin focused on the Dickensian sketch he was drawing of their son, surrounded by Christmas gifts, a tinsel-laden, old-fashioned, live, white pine tree, a roaring fire, lots of greenery on the fireplace mantel, and a "baby's first Christmas" stocking hanging down from a "Shelf-Elf" character hook, the red flannel material bulging with all sorts of toys and teething rings. Their son loved the sound of Brian's innumerable set of keys he always carried in his suit pocket; so much so that it became a daily game whenever he got home. The first thing Shay would do after getting a kiss from his father would reach his chubby, little hand out toward Brian as he jingled the keys in his pocket with his hand. Eventually, their son would wind up with them for a few minutes (under careful watch, of course), until he became distracted with something else. It was their version of 'hide-and-go-seek,' and it was debatable which one obtained the most enjoyment out of it.

A radio station that Justin had found after skimming through the channels available was playing the obligatory, non-stop Christmas music, a fact that made Brian cringe inside, but to his credit he didn't demand that Justin turn it off or find something else. Justin found it somewhat soothing, perhaps even hopeful that their child's first Christmas wouldn't be spent without them. He suspected it meant much more to him than it did to either Brian or their son - after all, just how much would an eight-month-old baby really remember later in life? But he just couldn't fathom not being there.

He continued to draw, finding the music a perfect complement to what he was imaging in his mind, until suddenly a stab of pain lanced through his hand and it began to shake, not violently but just enough to make him have to clench his hand in response and wince. _Fuck._ It had been a long time since that had happened, actually, but he suspected that between working overtime to complete his commission, and now drawing in the SUV, he had obviously overdone it.

Brian glanced over at Justin then as he heard him gasp under his breath, the discomfort from overusing his hand flaring up as he watched him place his pencil down between his legs on the seat and flex his hand open and shut.

"Bothering you?"

Justin glanced over at Brian. That had been the first, substantial thing he had really said since they had left LA. He didn't see any point in trying to hide the obvious, but he didn't want to make a big issue out of it, either. "It's okay," he told him dismissively. "It's not like it's the first time it's happened."

"No, it's not. I knew this was going to happen, Justin. You were pushing too hard to get that commission done. And now you're drawing again, which is just making it worse."

"I had a deadline to meet, Brian. I had to do what had to be done. Would you have preferred that I didn't meet my obligations? That would have really gone far to cement my reputation out here."

"Well, no one's paying you to draw now," Brian pointed out, a little miffed over Justin's nonchalance regarding his pain. Would he never learn to pace himself a little more?

Justin huffed in irritation. "No, they're not. But it's my choice, isn't it? I'm an adult. If I want to pass the time drawing, then it's my fucking decision."

Brian sighed heavily as he shook his head in annoyance. It seemed like all they ever did lately was fight, and normally for no good reason. What was happening to them? How did they ever reach this point? "Fine," he gritted out at last. "Do whatever the hell you want."

* * *

Several hours of a tense, mainly silent period passed between them, the sky turning darker as they drove on toward the Pitts. Brian's initial intent on driving straight through so they could arrive late the next day turned out to be unrealistic as they reached the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri. They had been in the car off and on for the past 26 hours, and both of them were weary, irritable, and cranky, much like their son was when he was either sick or fighting sleep. The snow that had suddenly appeared in the past half-hour with increasing intensity didn't help much, either.

Brian sighed as he glanced over at his husband, now sleeping beside him. Justin's face was turned toward his and his lips were partly open as he slept. Some hair that Brian intimately knew was incredibly soft was thrown over his eyes, and he appeared even younger then he normally did. As always, Justin's beauty took his breath away. He thought regretfully about their conversation earlier, which had become rather heated. It wasn't that he didn't love his husband, and he knew that Justin had to realize that; God, he loved him more than he ever did, in fact. And he still caused his heart to lurch when he smiled at him, and he still amazed him by his passion, his courage, his determination, and his capacity to love.

But the past several months of raising a newborn had taken their toll on both of them. He loved Shay with all his heart, too; all the feelings he had felt when he had first held Gus for the first time had come rushing back to him when he had first seen his and Justin's son in the hospital right after his birth. And - prejudicial or not - Shay was extremely intelligent and was a constant source of both joy and amusement for both of them.

But he was also a LOT of work, needing constant attention just like any baby did. Feedings, dressings, doctor appointments, play time, everything. Justin did more than his share of the work to take care of him - perhaps so much so that Brian actually felt guilty about how much time he had to be away due to Kinnetik - but he knew Justin understood and accepted that. After all, he had been the one to insist on not using a nanny. But he couldn't deny that despite the love he felt for Shay, it DID impact his and Justin's time together, and selfish or not, he missed that. But the solution that would make everything better - and keep everyone happy - was not forthcoming; at least, not that he could see. Justin wouldn't even discuss using someone else to care for their son - except for the occasional visits to his grandmas Debbie and Jennifer. And even then, by the time they began to relax and settle in with some much-needed private time, it was time to pick up their child again. Honestly, Brian didn't know how parents of young children did it and still maintained their sanity.

Turning his attention back to the quickly deteriorating roads, he knew even with the four-wheel drive that he wouldn't be able to keep his promise to Justin to drive straight through to the Pitts; even if he could, the other drivers who were clogging up the main highway were going to prevent that. The snow was coming down now with almost blinding intensity and with the amount of time he had already spent on the road, he was barely able to hold his eyes open. It wouldn't do their son any good if they ran off the road into a ditch somewhere - or worse. He cursed then as he felt their vehicle fishtailing slightly as he turned in the direction of the skid and watched several other vehicles doing the same thing. It was just a matter of time before someone caused an accident - and they wound up sitting in traffic for several hours that didn't go anywhere.

So he made the spontaneous decision to get off at the next stop. He had no idea where it would take them, but he knew they had to find shelter for the time being, at least until the roads became more passable. As he veered off to the right to take the exit and slowed down to come to a stop at the end, however, he pressed the anti-lock brakes and nothing happened. "Fuck!" he muttered in disgust as the vehicle slowed but still keep sliding. If he didn't stop soon, he would run right into the vehicle directly in front of them. He had no idea how he did, but at the last minute the brakes protested but finally did their job as the heavy SUV came to a stop within inches of the other vehicle. He let out a deep sigh of relief, his hands shaking slightly from the near miss.

"What's going on?" he heard Justin ask sleepily from his place in the passenger seat as he raised his head in alarm. "Where are we?" His eyes widened in shock as he looked out the windshield. "Fuck! Where did all the snow come from?"

"Well, when it's cold enough and there's enough precip..."

"Asshole, you know what I mean!"

Brian sighed. "It started snowing just outside St. Louis and now an hour later, here we are."

"Shit." Justin rubbed his eyes and squeezed them shut briefly before opening them back up, somehow hoping he was imagining the blanket of white that threatened to blind him. "Why are we getting off the highway?"

"Why do you think? Even a 4-wheel drive can't handle this much snow this fast. And even if I _could _drive in it, you have to contend with the idiots that can't. It's not worth getting into an accident. I'm pulling off and finding somewhere to stay put until the roads clear up." As he inched out onto the main road and turned right, he began to crane his neck in both directions for a possible resting point: a gas station, a diner, anything that would get them out of the hazardous weather and allow them to rest for a while, even though he knew from glancing at the GPS earlier that there didn't seem to be anything close by. Truthfully, it WAS the weather that gave him pause for concern, but he also needed to just get a little sleep as well. Unfortunately, he apparently chose one of those exits that simply headed toward some small town outside of the big city, for there was nothing but an occasional farmhouse or silo, not even a hole-in-the-wall gas station. He sighed. What had seemed like a good idea at the time was quickly turning into a temporary nightmare, but there was no way he could get back on the highway now.

"But what about...?"

Brian sighed deeply. "Come on, Justin! Look around you! I know you want to get home, but it's not safe right now! How much good will we do our son if we both wind up in a ditch somewhere, hurt...or worse?"

Justin's mouth hung open in dismay. He knew from a rational standpoint that Brian was right; he had never seen such a heavy snowfall before. The fat, white flakes were coming down fast and furious, and showed no signs of abating anytime soon. But his heart ached over the possibility of not being home in time for their son's first Christmas. That was something they could never get back again, and the thought of not being there filled him with profound sadness.

Brian glanced over at his husband, noting the look of extreme disappointment on his face. "We have an extra day built into the schedule," he reminded him softly as they slowly crept down the two-lane highway that seemed to go nowhere. "I'm sure they'll have the roads cleaned off just as soon as it stops snowing. We'll get there in time; you'll see." He tried to sound more confident than he felt, though; who knew when this sort of storm would let up? But it was early in the day, so they could still have several more hours of daylight in which to drive. Surely this sort of storm couldn't last all day.

Justin rewarded him with a half-smile and a nod as he fervently hoped that Brian was right. "I don't see anything," he told him as he looked around, noticing the same lack of commercialism that Brian did. "Where does this road go?"

"Nowhere, apparently," Brian joked. "But I think I saw a sign when I got off that said something about a place called Arcadia, so that must be the so-called big town in this direction."

"Brian, that could be some one-stop horse town for all we know."

Brian shrugged. "I know...but we have to keep going. I don't see anything else, and the traffic out on the expressway was bumper-to-bumper. Surely they'll at least have a diner or something there; they have to eat, don't they?"

Justin peered out at the endless fields blanketed in smooth, pristine blankets of white. The snow was sticking to the bare branches now, making it very picturesque. He had to admit it was lovely - if only it wasn't also their impediment to getting home. "I guess," he finally stated. "I just hope we don't wind up having to stay for long."

Brian nodded as they continued to crawl along. At least the other car he had almost run into had turned in the other direction, so they were relatively alone on the road. He was able to straddle the middle in order to hopefully avoid sliding off into the steep shoulder nearby.

* * *

Finally after several minutes he could just make out a wooden sign posted on the side of the road; the bottom half was covered in snow, but the top was still readable. "There," he murmured as he noticed the name of Arcadia etched into the wood. "Here it is."

"Here WHAT is?" Justin groused as they peered around. The houses seemed to be closer together now, indicating they were coming to _some_ sort of town or at least a major intersection, but there was still no sign of any actual businesses. "I still don't see anything."

"Neither do I," Brian admitted as he strained to peer through the fat flakes of snow still showering down profusely. "But I think I see a stoplight."

"Great," Justin muttered. "Civilization."

As Brian slowed down near the light, he noticed it was one of those older models with a hood over the top red bulb to help decipher it from the others; nothing LED in sight. As they got closer, both men realized this must be what the town considered their 'bustling' main street district, for at last they could finally make out a small, 'Mayberry-type' gas station on the corner and brick buildings from the 30's lined both sides of the road. Slanted parking was available in front of each building, and a large, three-story bank sat on the corner, an old-fashioned, revolving clock suspended from the main entrance as it slowly spun around. Christmas lights lined the street on both sides, hanging both from the gas street lamps as well as the trees, and there were several neon, holiday signs hung across the road between the telephone poles. Store displays were framed with lights as well, displaying mechanized elves, toy trains, and mannequins wearing holiday garb. It was Bedford Falls come to light, in Justin's opinion, and despite his desperate wish to get home in time for Christmas, he couldn't help being enthralled nonetheless.

"Oh, my God," Brian deadpanned as he looked at all the cheesy displays in the windows. "It's Christmas on steroids."

Justin smiled in delight, though, as Brian turned onto the main road and he had a better look at all the decorations. "It's beautiful," he murmured as Brian snorted beside him, clearly expecting that sort of response from him. "Oh, come on!" he growled at him. "Exorcise your inner Grinch just for once, Scrooge! It's Christmas!"

"It's fake trees and tinsel, Sunshine," Brian told him. "And then as soon as it's all over, it's back to the drudgery and the backstabbing again."

Justin turned to look at him. "I don't believe you really feel that way, Brian. I've seen you around Shay - and I remember how are around Gus - all year, not just at Christmas. Surely you don't believe that everyone is out to get you all the time?"

"I don't want to talk about Gus," Brian snapped. "Let's just find a place to stop, okay?"

Justin nodded silently, puzzled as to why Brian would be upset about him mentioning Gus's name. It had been a while since they had last seen him, even though Mel and Lindsay allowed him to Skype with them on a regular basis to keep up with all the milestones in Gus' life. And Gus had been there with them right after Shay's birth to see his new baby brother, and also for Brian's birthday about six months ago. He was shocked to realize, however, that that was the last time they had seen him in person. Where did the time go? Between taking care of their child and their careers - and Gus needing to remain where he was for school and his extra-curricular activities - that hadn't left them with much time to spend together as a family. And he considered Gus just that - as much a part of their family as Shay was. But successfully navigating the physical, logistical part of it remained a distinct challenge to overcome, and now here it was Christmas already. He frowned as a thought came to him. "Brian?"

"Yeah?"

"Gus IS coming down here on his Christmas break...isn't he?"

He noticed a vein twitch in Brian's neck then and the firm set of his husband's jaw, and without waiting for an actual response, he knew what the answer would be.

Brian looked straight ahead as the vehicle crawled through the snowy onslaught of white. "No, Justin, he's not."

Even though he suspected he should let it drop, Justin couldn't do it. He frowned. "Why not? I thought it was all arranged..."

"Well, you thought wrong," was the curt reply. Brian wouldn't look at him. "There was a change of plans. He's going to be at Lindsay's parents' house for Christmas."

Justin's mouth hung open. "What?! Why in the hell would they be going _there_? Lindsay's parents don't even approve of their relationship! I thought Lindsay wasn't even speaking to them." When Lindsay had taken Gus to stay with her parents after her temporary separation from Mel a few years ago, it hadn't taken her long to find out what a mistake that had been when they tried to fix her up with a guy. Ever since then, she had reportedly not had anything to do with them.

"Well, her father called about a week ago and supposedly has changed. Apparently he's grown a heart now; or so she's been duped into thinking. He invited her and Mel to spend time with them over the holidays, so they're taking Gus and JR up there for Christmas instead."

Justin sputtered in indignation. "But that's absurd! Why would they do that? Surely Michael's not happy about that, either!"

Brian shrugged. "No, he's not. But what can we do, Justin? We don't have an official visitation schedule with the kids. They can fucking do what they want. If she's stupid enough to think they've actually changed their bigoted ways of thinking and wants to spend time there instead, there's nothing me or Mikey can do about it."

"I can't believe she would fall for that. There's no way he's changed his mind about them."

Brian finally peered over at his husband to reply, "I agree. But if _your_ father called and said the same thing to you and begged for forgiveness, would YOU be able to just dismiss it out of hand?"

Justin opened his mouth to vehemently respond that yes, he most certainly would. But would he? If his father DID call - proclaiming that he had had a revelation of some sort and was now willing - and desirous - of a relationship with him (and Brian), would he just turn him down flat and laugh in his face? Or would he, too, hold out just a sliver of hope that perhaps somehow a miracle had occurred and that his father really DID want to be in his life? For as much as he hated to admit it, he still missed having a father. The father he knew as a child, not the bigoted prick that Craig Taylor had become, the one that he wanted nothing to do with. Shay's birth had just made this unrealistic hope even more poignant, and his father's absence even more pronounced. But he knew deep down it was just a pipedream. No one who held such deep hostility toward his lifestyle - and who would throw out his only son after physically striking him and spewing such hatred toward him and the man he loved - would ever change. No miracle would ever accomplish that, he realized sadly.

"Justin?"

He let out a sorrowful breath as he turned to look over at Brian; his proud, flawed Brian, the man he had fallen in love with and loved even more deeply now, despite his imperfections. God knows HE had enough of those, too. He nodded his head finally in answer to his question. "Yes, I could," he told him softly. "Because I know there's no possible chance that would ever happen. And I think Lindsay's deluding herself if she feels otherwise."

Brian nodded as he continued to look around for a good spot to rest. "Yeah, me, too," he confessed. "But there's nothing I can do about it."

"I'm sorry, Brian," Justin murmured. "I know how much you wanted to see him. I did, too. Maybe afterward?"

Brian shrugged. "Maybe." He took a deep breath, a subtle signal that he was done discussing it. "What about there?" he asked, nodding his head toward a small storefront with a "_Kellerman's Home Cooking_" sign flashing in neon; there was an 'open' sign hanging from the door.

Justin nodded. "Fine," he said as Brian veered the SUV toward the curb and slowed down to almost a stop just in case he hit the brakes and the vehicle wanted to keep going. At least the street was flat, which helped to stop his momentum. Holding down the brake continuously, he came to a partial, sliding stop just to the left of the building, letting out another sigh of relief they were able to stop safely.

"Let's go check it out," he told Justin as they both emerged from the vehicle. They were both surprised as they peered into the window front and noticed the place was bustling with people, even though there were relatively few vehicles parked nearby. They could make out a middle-aged woman wearing a red uniform and a white apron dispensing coffee to a bibbed gentleman at a front counter, making them both think of how similar it was to the Liberty Diner back home. The snowflakes began to pelt them in earnest now as they walked over to the sidewalk and stood just under the protective, green awning, sheltering them from the precipitation.

"Shit, if I didn't know better, I'd say it's snowing even harder now," Brian remarked as they stood there under the awning, shoulder-to-shoulder, watching the snow continuing to fall. Some red cardinals were perched in a small tree directly across the street, making it look like a red-balled Christmas tree while they waited turns visiting a tube bird feeder hung on one of the branches.

"I think you're right," Justin agreed. He sighed. "Brian, do you really think we'll get home before Christmas?"

Brian knew how badly Justin wanted to be there, but at the same time he had never lied to him and wasn't going to start now. "I don't know," he admitted quietly. "But we're sure as hell going to give it our best shot." Justin nodded as Brian grabbed his coat sleeve. "Come on, let's go get warmed up."


	3. Small-Town Christmas

_The kindness of a stranger helps the boys to improve their relationship as they find joy in the simple things._

* * *

A bell clanged above the door as they entered, and they felt everyone's eyes upon them; clearly they didn't get too many strangers in town, which was understandable considering how far removed they were from the main road. But the waitress who they had observed through the window smiled warmly at them as they entered, the glass door banging shut behind them when a gust of wind blew in.

"Have a seat wherever you like," she told them, "And I'll bring over the coffee."

Brian nodded as they took a seat at a small, rectangular-shaped table near the window. A pair of matching, Santa salt-and-pepper shakers were squatting in the middle of the table, with a small Poinsettia potted plant perched beside them. The table was already set up with silverware, and two paper, scalloped placemats in front of each place setting, depicting a nativity scene. Against the window sat a metal holder with plastic bottles containing syrup, ketchup, and mustard.

Justin plucked two laminated, folded menus from between the mustard and ketchup bottles and handed one to Brian. The front and back were illustrated with all sorts of high-carb breakfast foods, making Brian scowl in disapproval. Glancing across the table at his husband, Justin couldn't help smiling at his reaction; he would have expected nothing less.

"So many healthy choices," Brian muttered. He finally dropped the menu down onto the table in disgust as the waitress walked over with the coffee pot to pour them each a cup. She didn't ask if they wanted any; it just seemed to be a given here, apparently.

The woman was reminiscent of Debbie in some ways - bright red lipstick, a pencil behind her ear, loud and overbearing, but in a sincere way. But unlike Debbie, her hair was definitely her own; no one would elect to choose a wig with the almost purple-tinted hair color she was sporting, no doubt from way too many perms. "What can I get you boys?" she asked as she held the pot suspended in her hand. "You're not from around here, are you?"

Brian snorted at the cheesy line. Did it look like they were local farmers? Justin cleared his throat in reproach as Brian looked over at him innocently.

Smiling politely, Justin informed her, "No, we're not. We're heading back home to Pittsburgh."

The woman smiled broadly. "Oh, and what brings you out this way?"

Brian groaned inwardly. They_ would_ have to wind up with someone who wanted to know their life history. He decided it was wise to let the more talkative half of their marriage speak for him as he heard Justin describe where they had been and why they were renting a vehicle instead of flying back. By the time his husband had finished telling her all about their lives - including sharing a photo of Shay - the woman was clucking sympathetically. At least she wasn't eyeing them with barely-concealed bigotry, though. Brian had to give her credit for that. She seemed to readily except the unusual family arrangement he and Justin had.

Ordering a 'healthy' egg white omelet, turkey sausage, and whole wheat toast for Brian - knowing Brian's meal preferences intimately by now - Justin took her advice and ordered the "Morning Glory" breakfast for himself, consisting of two scrambled eggs, three strips of bacon, and gravy and biscuits, with some hash browns on the side. A few more minutes of conversation ensued before an older man called the woman by name - Lenora - and asked for more coffee, causing her to reluctantly walk away to take care of him at the counter and place their orders with the cook.

"Did you hear what she said?" Justin asked as she walked away. Brian slowly rubbed the beige-colored coffee mug absentmindedly with his index finger, seemingly lost in thought. He blinked as Justin called out his name, noticing a look of dismay on his husband's face. "What?

Justin sighed, realizing Brian had zoned him out. That seemed to happen a lot lately. "Lenora said that according to the weather report, there's a winter storm warning until tomorrow morning. They're expecting several more inches today. How are we ever going to get out of here? What are we going to do?"

The clatter of silverware and spirited conversations occurring around them faded into the background as Brian reached over to grasp his husband's hand. "We're going to sit here and enjoy our breakfast, Justin. And then we're going to decide what to do afterward. We don't have any control over what the weather does. Okay?"

"But..."

"Justin..."

Justin sighed in resignation as he pulled his hand back. "Okay," he grumbled as he stared out onto the street; their vehicle was already covered with snow; there seemed to be no abatement yet. It was pretty and scenic; but it was also very discouraging. _Would anything go their way_? he wondered dismally.

The meal they were soon served was just the right temperature and surprisingly tasty, Brian had to admit. Their breakfast conversation, however, was brief and stilted, no doubt due in part to Justin's preoccupation and worry about getting home by Christmas. Brian could understand his worry, but he wasn't about to risk both of their child's parents by heading back out into a major snowstorm that still showed no signs at all of abating. The skies were so cloudy and gray, it appeared to be closer to dusk than mid-morning.

As soon as he finished up his meal, Lenora seemed to appear out of nowhere to scoop up his plate and refill his and Justin's coffee. She eyed the sullen look on Justin's face carefully. "What's with the long face?" she murmured, her eyes filled with concern. She smiled in epiphany. "Your baby's your first, isn't he? Shay, right?"

Justin swallowed hard at the mention of their son's name before he nodded.

She smiled. "I thought so. He sure is a cutie," she told him, Justin having proudly shown her several photos of him earlier. "I love babies with chubby cheeks," she added. "And he looks a lot like you."

Justin's eyes watered as he tried hard not to get too upset. Just thinking about him - without his fathers on Christmas Day - filled him with sadness. He smiled, however, despite his pain as she mentioned his likeness to him. "Everyone says that," he responded softly as she nodded.

"Well, I'm sure you're homesick for him," she cooed perceptively as Justin nodded. She glanced outside at the ever-increasing snow blanketing every object outside. "It sure is pretty out there," she stated, although her 'pretty' came as more like 'purdy' with her accent. "Thanks, Gordie," she said to the busboy who walked up with a partially filled, plastic dish tub in his hands as she dropped the soiled dishes and silverware into the container with a clang. She reached out with the dishtowel she had around her shoulder to whap the teenage boy on the behind as he turned back around and mock glared at her, evoking a laugh out of her and at last a smile from the two men in the booth. "He's a real smart aleck," she remarked as she watched him go. "But he's a hard worker, too. I love to get his goat!" Her face turned serious as she informed them, "I don't think either one of you will be hitting the road anytime today. I just heard on the radio that the county's declared a Level 3 snow emergency. That means no one can be out of the road unless it's an authorized vehicle until the emergency is lifted."

Justin's mouth hung open as he slumped back against the vinyl booth in defeat. "No..." he murmured as he placed his head in his hands, looking down onto the tabletop in resignation. _Great...Just great..._All of a sudden, his success with his painting commission seemed like a poor price to pay in exchange for being gone from their son at Christmas.

Brian sighed, disappointed himself but resigned to what it was. There was nothing they could do but wait it out. He looked up at Lenora to state, "Well, there has to be a hotel here somewhere." Lenora shook her head. "A bed and breakfast?" Again, she shook her head no. Brian rolled his eyes. "An heated barn or a homeless shelter?" She cackled in amusement, but again shook her head as Brian huffed in disgust. "Wonderful. I wonder how long I can run the heater in the SUV before we run out of gas?"

Justin looked over at him in misery as he felt someone squeezing his shoulder; a pair of luminous, mascara-coated, green eyes peered down at him from beside the booth; he thought their well-intentioned busybody had left to go take someone else's orders, but she hadn't. "Honey, now don't you go fretting none," Lenora told him softly. "We may be out in the sticks, but they do a fine job of clearing the roads off here once the snow stops. It's supposed to let up by early tomorrow morning, which will give you plenty of time to get home before your youngster even notices you're gone. In the meantime, you can stay above the diner for the night."

Brian furrowed his brow. "Above the diner?"

She nodded. "Yep. Belongs to my brother Bill. His son, Leonard, was using it after he graduated from high school a year ago, but my brother finally got tired of him being a loafer and gave him an ultimatum to either get a job or go to college. So he packed up his things a week ago and headed over to Kansas State. He hasn't had a chance to rent it out yet, but gave me the key in case there were any takers for it while he's gone hunting. You can stay up there tonight."

"We don't want to impose..." Justin began, feeling kind of weird about accepting help from a total stranger. Truth be known, though, he was exhausted, and he had actually had a few hours' sleep. His hand was still a little wobbly, too, which was his own fault. Brian had been right earlier; he HAD overdone it, and now he was paying the price. He glanced over at Brian, whose eyes were half-closed, and suddenly he felt ashamed of the way he had been treating him. Brian hadn't been the easiest person to live with for the past several months since Shay had been born, but he had tried his best to get them home in time for Christmas, and he had been driving practically nonstop for over a day. He needed the rest more than he did.

"Nonsense!" Lenora squawked in indignation. "It's just sitting up there, going to waste. Now go get your things out of that boat outside and I'll let you upstairs." She smiled as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Heavens, I almost forgot! You'll be here tonight for the Christmas Parade! You won't want to miss that; should be beautiful with the snow this year! Now scoot so I can clear this table off!" She made a shooing motion with her wrinkled hand like she was warding off a large housefly before she placed both hands on her hips expectantly, lifting an eyebrow a la Mr. Spock as she waited for them to do her bidding, and leaving no room to disobey her.

The two men exchanged an amused glance before, as one accord, they scooted out of the seat and stood up on either side of her. "You heard the boss, Sunshine," Brian murmured, catching a surprised glance from their benefactor over the unexpected nickname. Brian really never gave it much thought anymore; the name was as much a part of Justin as his given name was.

She nodded in approval, reaching out to catch Brian by the coat sleeve just before he was about to slide by her. "Here," she muttered as the bell over the door clanged and a couple of burly-looking, bearded men walked in, stomping their work boots on the rubber mat by the door. "Just take this and bring it back to me tomorrow morning," she told them as she dug into her apron pocket and fished out a couple of keys on a _'Missouri, the Show Me State'_ keyring. "The door to the upstairs is on your left outside. Parade starts at seven," she told him, "so maybe I'll see you two later. Now get a move on; I've got tables to wait on."

"Yes, Ma'am," Brian murmured as he took the proffered keys. Clutching them in his hand, he shoved a twenty in her pocket despite her vehement protest before taking Justin's elbow and threading their way over to the cashier station.

* * *

It took Brian a couple of minutes to jiggle the front entrance just right to get it to open, but twenty minutes later they had retrieved their luggage from the SUV and had settled into the upstairs apartment. It wasn't anything fancy - clearly not having been remodeled in some time - but it was clean, functional, and warm. There was even a wood-burning fireplace facing out onto the street from the living room, with some chopped wood stacked in a portable, canvas sling to the left. They were surprised to find a few remnants of groceries left in the apartment, including some cold beers in the fridge, a bottle of red wine on the counter, an unopened bag of chips, and a few nonperishables in the cupboard, including a half-full can of coffee.

Pulling off his wet shoes, Justin winced as the ice-encrusted cuffs of his jeans hit some bare skin. They had promptly turned frozen after just a few minutes outside.

"You okay?" Brian asked as he took his coat off and draped it over a wooden coat rack near the front door. He walked over and sat down next to Justin on the couch.

"Yeah. My feet are numb, though," he told him as he wriggled his toes. "And the bottom of my jeans are frozen practically solid."

"I saw a shower in the bathroom. Why don't you go get under some hot water?" Brian suggested. I'll try to get a fire going."

_That would be the FIRST time in a while,_ Justin couldn't help thinking ironically as he silently nodded. Any other time, Brian would have been taking the shower WITH him, not staying out here. Reaching for his duffel bag he had left perched on top of a nearby, upholstered chair, he turned and headed down the short hallway to the bathroom, softly closing the door behind him.

Brian sighed as he watched Justin go. What was wrong with him? He still found Justin to be the most beautiful man he had ever met, and his physical attraction to him had never waned; in fact, it had only gotten stronger over time. So why did he practically push him away just now? Any other time, he would have almost beaten him to the shower before he could turn around.

"You're an asshole," Brian mumbled to himself before he got to work on the fire.

* * *

_Twenty Minutes Later..._

"It's all yours, Brian," Justin announced as he walked out of the steamy bathroom; the blissfully hot water, along with the dry set of clothes he now had on, had done wonders for his spirits. He could hear the crackling of the fire going as he tread down the short hallway, which creaked occasionally underneath him. Brian had obviously been successful in starting a fire. He _loved_ a wood fire on a cold, snowy day, too; he enjoyed the sound, the warmth, and the smell of the wood.

Not seeing his husband anywhere once he reached the living room, he frowned. The apartment was so small, it was difficult to hide anywhere, but Brian seemed to have done just that. Surely he didn't go back outside for something? Walking over to the large, picture window looking out onto the snow-covered street below, he spied the SUV quickly and realized from the lack of footprints that Brian had not been back there. But where, then, was he?

As he turned around, he immediately realized where he had gone; there, lying lengthwise on the couch, was his husband, his mouth partly open as he snored softly, an orange throw pillow under his head. His hands were clasped on top of his flat stomach, and his bare feet were dangling off the far end, crossed at the ankles.

Justin's heart clenched at the sight. He knew Brian had to be exhausted by now; he had insisted on doing all the driving, even though he had volunteered several times to relieve him. "You stubborn, proud man," he whispered as he walked over and pulled a multi-colored, crocheted throw from the back of the couch. Crouching down beside Brian, he draped it gently over his long, lanky body, pulling it up to his shoulders and wrapping it loosely around him.

He walked over to locate Brian's black, leather gym bag, pulling out a pair of dry socks before returning to pull the drenched ones off Brian's feet and replace them with the others; he noticed that Brian stirred slightly, but did not awaken. Walking around to gingerly sit on the edge of the couch beside his husband's sleeping form, he lightly trailed his fingers over Brian's strong jaw, careful not to wake him. The flames continued to crackle nearby as he stared for a few more moments into Brian's peaceful-looking face before he carefully rose from his seat and headed back to the bedroom.

* * *

A particularly loud pop from one of the logs roused Brian from his sleep several hours later; his eyes fluttering open in confusion for a few seconds until he remembered where he was. Looking down, he realized he now had a coverlet over his body; obviously Justin must have placed it there. Thinking of his husband, he turned his head to the side to peer over toward the fireplace, noticing Justin quietly sitting in a chair a few feet away, silently watching the flames. A half-consumed glass of red wine was clutched in his left hand, and his sketchpad and box of pencils were lying next to him on a small tray table as he stared intently into the fire, another homemade throw swaddled around his slender torso. The flames reflected off his eyes from Brian's angle, making them seem to sparkle even more than normal.

He could tell from the long shadows now permeating the room that it had to be several hours since they had first come up here; how long had he been sleeping? "Justin?" he called out softly, not wanting to startle him.

He pulled the cover away from him, realizing Justin had put dry socks on his feet, too. One side of his mouth crooked upward as he stood up and walked over toward the fire. "How long have I been asleep?" he asked, scratching his head as he stood behind the chair and watched the flames dancing in front of him. Obviously Justin had kept the fire hot while he had been asleep; robust flames were curling up over a couple of new logs on top.

"About five hours," he told him quietly.

"Five _hours_? Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"Why?" Justin responded dejectedly as he continued to gaze into the hypnotic flames. "We can't go anywhere. Besides, you needed the rest."

Brian sighed softly as turned to walk over to the window to check. The snow continued to pour down unabated, perhaps even a little heavier than before. He had no idea how this 'burg of a town could possibly be having a parade tonight, unless Santa's reindeer really DID exist, but even _he_ had to admit that the freshly fallen blanket of snow was soothing with it coating the rooftops and sprinkling all the tree branches with nature's white paintbrush. "There's something about the snow," he murmured as he placed his hands down on top of the old-fashioned, marble windowsill as he peered onto the street scene below, shivering a little as the cold smoothness of the material hit the palms of his hands. "Everything seems to slow down when it comes, and it feels so peaceful...at least for a little while." He watched as a child decked out in a padded, red snowsuit and a green-and-red knitted cap with a tassel pulled a plastic toboggan down the middle of the street, a younger, bareheaded child riding on top. It didn't matter that they were out in the road - there was no traffic at the moment. He watched the toboggan create a trail as far as he could see until they rounded the corner down the block and disappeared. Had he ever been as carefree as they appeared to be? He thought the little, brown-haired boy on the toboggan looked like Gus, at least from the back, as he whispered, "I miss him."

Justin turned his head to peer over at Brian silhouetted against the window, his face cast in shadow now. "Shay?" he prodded softly.

"Well, yes," Brian responded. "Of _course_ I miss him." He gazed down at the trail left by the toboggan before he turned around to admit, "But I was actually talking about Gus just now."

Justin laid his glass down on the table beside his chair and rose to walk over to him. His heart ached over the melancholy tone in Brian's voice as he placed his hands on the taller man's shoulders. "I'm sorry he's not going to be here with us for Christmas," he told him. "I miss him, too, you know."

Brian nodded, his eyes watering. _Damn it_, he was not going to go there. He knew when Gus moved to Canada with Mel and Lindsay that he wouldn't be able to see him as much as before. He had to admit that they HAD kept their word as far as making sure Gus knew he was his father and stayed in contact with him. His heart soared every time his son told him that he loved him; and although it went against his very nature, he told Gus the same thing every time they spoke by phone or in person and they had to say goodbye, or when he tucked him in at night at Britin. He just didn't know it would hurt so much, though, to have to be physically separated for such long periods of time. Now the pain was multiplied, because he wasn't with either one of his children. The only thing that made it bearable was the man whose concerned, blue eyes were boring into his. He reached over to stroke Justin's cheek. "I know you do, Sunshine."

He took a shaky breath to try and regain his composure as he half-turned back toward the window, the multitudes of Christmas lights beginning to twinkle brighter now that it was close to getting dark; against the white background of the snow, they looked almost magical. He could make out what appeared to be a town hall a couple of blocks down, a tall tree resplendent with what appeared to be thousands of amber-colored lights aglow. He thought he could see the beginnings of the parade gathering there; apparently that must be the starting point, then, before it marched down Main Street.

"Let's grab our coats and take a walk," he suggested impetuously to Justin's surprise as he turned to face his husband with his lips rolled under almost shyly.

Justin's eyes widened in shock. "Are you sure?" He had to admit, he was dying to see what the town looked like after dark, all lit up and decked out for the holiday. But he never thought Brian would want to go with him.

Brian's smile became wider as he nodded firmly. "Yeah, I'm sure. Let's go do some exploring."

"Okay," Justin responded with a bright smile of his own. "I'd really like that. I still have a few things I need to pick up for Christmas gifts."

Brian groaned as Justin quickly turned around to search for his jacket, scarf and gloves. He still had his blue knit scarf that Debbie had knitted for him several years ago, and a broken-in pair of brown leather gloves that his mom had bought for him a few years back, but the stubborn twit still refused to wear a hat or cap of any kind, saying it made him feel 'smothered.' Well, he supposed he shouldn't complain, Brian thought. He wouldn't be caught dead wearing a hat, either.

A few minutes later, they trudged down the worn, carpeted steps toward the front door, emerging out into a pristine, winter wonderland. Every lamp, every street corner, every shop was lit up with thousands and thousands of lights, and the townspeople were beginning to appear, milling around as they peeked inside storefronts to do some window shopping, or slipped inside some of the small shops to absorb some of the warmth or partake of some spiced cider, coffee, hot chocolate, or homemade cookies. They could hear Christmas music floating out of a speaker system mounted high up on the streetlamp poles as they turned and headed down the street walk, both men learning their lesson from before and now sporting boots to ward off the wetness and cold.

Brian reached over to quietly take Justin's gloved hand in his as they began to stroll slowly, occasionally peeking at displays that interested them. The snow had finally begun to taper off somewhat in intensity; while it was still coming down fairly regularly, the snowflakes were smaller and lighter now, promising an eventual end to the storm they had endured all day long.

Brian felt Justin stop a few feet behind him before he heard him cry out excitedly, "Brian, look at this!"

Brian turned around to observe a train set display in the front window of the local hardware. "Shit..."

"Isn't that...?"

Brian nodded in disbelief. "That's the train set Gus has been wanting for Christmas that no one can find anywhere, not even online."

Justin grinned. "Well, not until now, anyway. Let's go in!"

"Justin, we don't even know if we'll SEE Gus," he reminded him sadly.

"But we will," he told Brian firmly. "And we'll need it then. Come on, we'll never get this chance again!"

He grabbed Brian's hand and forcefully pulled him toward the door, where a giant wreath was hung over the top half that obscured most of the interior. Brian initially held back, but Justin's _'kid-in-a-candy-store_' enthusiasm was contagious, though, and Brian was so pleased that his husband had apparently been pulled out of his doldrums that he didn't really resist as he followed him inside.


	4. Fire Reignited

_The boys finally have their talk to clear the air; will it result in some long-awaited passion as well?_

* * *

"Wow, they even gift wrapped it for free," Justin commented a few minutes later as they exited the hardware store; he was munching on a homemade snicker doodle in one hand and sipping some hot cider with the other.

Brian shifted the weight of the package in his arms, finding it surprisingly heavy for a child's toy. By the time they emerged, it was now well past dark and almost time for the parade to begin; the street, however, was anything but subdued and deserted. With all the Christmas lights and decorations, it came close to rivaling the best display at Disneyworld, and a crowd was quickly forming, buzzing in anticipation.

Brian glanced over at his husband, whose eyes were a rainbow of incredible colors as the lights reflected off them, and his cheeks had a healthy, pink tint from the cold, dramatically contrasting with his shiny hair. He stared at him in amazement, awed by his beauty as he always was. But tonight it was absolutely breathtaking.

Justin caught the intense look he was receiving, and couldn't help nervously smiling back a little as the sounds of horses' hooves got louder and louder, and the throng of people began to murmur as the first entry in the parade neared. "What?" he asked, perplexed.

Brian shook his head slightly in dismissal. "Nothing." Justin raised an eyebrow skeptically, however, broadcasting that he clearly didn't buy that as Brian finally admitted truthfully, "I was just thinking how...how _beautiful_ you look right now with the snow and all the lights around you." _Shit, had he really just said that rubbish aloud? But it was the truth nonetheless. _

Justin's face flushed with pleasure as he flashed him a 100-watt smile in response, and Brian decided he didn't CARE if it sounded totally lesbionic in nature if he could receive that sort of reward in return; it had been a long while since he had seen an all-out, Justin Taylor-Kinney smile, and he had missed it tremendously. "Brian..." Justin murmured in surprised embarrassment, but he was obviously pleased just the same.

Just then the sound of dozens of tiny bells tinkling and the excited shrieks of children could be heard as they looked up to see a team of horses arriving, pulling a float with a North Pole on top; fake, cotton snow was effectively mixed in with the real kind now due to the snowfall, making it even more realistic looking as several adult and child elves, dressed in green and red outfits, walked along both sides of the street near the sidewalks with large, red buckets, distributing candy canes to all the children.

After the initial float, there were several more, either pulled by horses or by tractor, along with a couple of marching bands and some school choirs singing, until at last Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus herself appeared on the last float, complete with a couple of authentic reindeer in a makeshift corral to the side of the platform. One of them had obviously had a lit-up, red nose attached over its real nose and it was hokey as could be, but none of the children seemed to mind or notice as their eyes lit up in fascination while they pointed excitedly at 'Rudolph,' the celebrity.

"Brian! Take a look at Mrs. Claus!" Justin instructed him with a smile. "Does she look familiar?" Sure enough, it was Lenora from the diner, dressed up in a velvet, red-and-white outfit and matching cap, proudly perched besides her husband; her purple-white hair was a perfect complement to her dress, and she was ideal in the part as if she had been performing her role for years. Perhaps she had. She recognized her temporary boarders down below as she looked over at the crowd and flashed them a smile and a wave, calling out a robust, "Merry Christmas!" before the float slowly headed on down the street.

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Brian toted the train set up the steps to the apartment, not quite trusting to leave his precious, rare cargo in the trunk of the SUV until morning.

He placed the large, rectangular-sized gift down onto the Formica kitchen dinette as Justin sunk down onto the couch, pulling off his wet boots and coat while Brian walked over to stoke the smoldering fire and put a couple more logs on top.

"Want some wine?" Justin asked as Brian nodded. He brought a glass over to his husband as he finished building up the fire. "That feels good," Justin murmured gratefully as he felt the warmth from the flames on his face. "I love a fire on a winter night."

"I know," Brian told him with a smile. "You about roast me in bed sometimes, you know. Why do you think I sleep without any cover on half the time?"

Justin smirked. "I thought it was because you were just showing off your body," he remarked innocently.

"Really?" Brian placed his glass down on top of the fireplace mantel before he slid his arms around his husband's slender waist to pull them chest to chest, curling his lips under. "So you think I'm still hot, do you?"

Justin slid his free hand up Brian's chest to rest on top of his shoulder. "You really have to ask that?" he murmured, loving the feel of Brian's body against his. "You'll always been the most gorgeous man I've ever met. I felt that way the first day I met you - and I _still_ feel that way."

Brian smiled lovingly down at him and leaned in with the intention of stealing a kiss, but Justin pushed back just slightly enough to stop him. He eyed him in puzzlement. "What?"

Justin stared up at him quietly, a look of sorrow in his eyes. "Brian?"

"Hmmm?"

"What's been happening to us?"

"What do you mean?"

"_You_ know what I mean. What's happened to how it was before? I mean, I know it's been hard with Shay around and all, but..." His voice trailed off.

"What?" Brian insisted as he slid one arm back around to tilt Justin's chin up so he could stare into his troubled eyes. "Say it, Justin."

"You're not sorry, are you?" was the startling question after a short pause.

"Sorry? About _what_?"

Justin took a deep breath. "Are you sorry we decided to have Shay? Do you regret that decision now?" _There, it was out in the open at least. _"Do you feel trapped because of him?"

Brian's eyes flashed in disbelief, and his hand tightened imperceptibly on Justin's chin before he dropped it to hang down by his side. "Shit, Justin, of _course_ not! It was a mutual decision, and I _love_ Shay! How can you even ask that? WHY would you ask that?"

Justin bit his lip. "Well...Because ever since he was born and we brought him home, it's like you've been a different person. I know he's really cut into our time together. But even now - even on this trip when we could finally be alone - you've seemed so distant. You left the other night at the hotel, and didn't come back for a long time. And...And when you did, we...we didn't even..." He sucked in a breath of resolve before rushing back in. "Exactly where did you _go_, Brian? To call someone? To fuck someone else?" His throat felt like a knife was stuck in it as he garnered up enough courage to ask, "Are...are you seeing someone else back home? Is that it? Have you lost interest in me?" His eyes teared over as he asked in a hoarse whisper, "Are you not attracted to me anymore?"

Brian looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Justin..." He shook his head in bewilderment before he grabbed his husband's hand. "Come over here and sit down with me; we're going to have a talk; a _long_ talk."

Justin followed him over to the couch and sat down facing him, their knees slightly touching as Brian stared at him in total disbelief. "Justin..." he began, not even sure where to start. The whole idea was so patently absurd. "First of all, NO! The answer's a big, fat, fucking, NO! To _both_ questions." He brushed his hand through his hair restlessly. "I know things have been strained between us since Shay's birth," he admitted. "That shouldn't be all that surprising, though; we both knew taking care of a newborn would be hard work, and that little dynamo is a _lot_ of work." He received a half-smile in response to that statement as he explained, "And the other night at the hotel? I had just been turned down by a client I had been pursuing for _years_. Do you know what that did to my fucking ego? So wise or not, all I wanted to do then was go down to the bar and get wasted and forget about it for a while; drown in my pity, if you will," he added wryly. "And that was ALL I did," he clarified as he looked Justin in the eyes. "All I would _ever _do."

He paused, the fire now burning fiercely nearby. "Add to that the fact that I'm not going to spend Christmas now with Gus, and...I guess it just all culminated into one, giant disappointment. I know you've been through a lot lately, too...And I guess I didn't want to burden you with _more_ issues. I know you've been handling a lot more of the responsibilities with our son than _I _have." He reached over to grip Justin's hands in his then, his voice softening with emotion as he spoke again. "But let me make one thing clear to you, Justin Taylor-Kinney; you are the best thing that ever happened to me. You, Gus _and_ Shay. You're my family. If I didn't have that...well, I really would go fucking insane sometimes when things like this _do_ happen. I couldn't imagine my life without all of you in it. Do you understand that?" He let go of Justin's right hand to gently brush some wetness away from the glistening, blue eyes. "I love you, you crazy, amazing man; more and more every day. You _do_ know that, right?"

Justin nodded, too choked up at the moment to say the words aloud. But there really was no need as Brian pulled him into his arms and they held each other tight. Only their soft pants of breath - along with an occasional sniffle from Justin or a pop and crack from the fire - broke the stillness until they began to hear singing outside; traveling carolers on the sidewalk, stopping periodically as they sang out a Christmas song. Even through the closed windows, they could both hear the melodic strains of the carolers singing, "_I'll be Home for Christmas_."

They both began to laugh as they recognized the irony, pulling back to look into each other's eyes and grin. "Maybe that's a sign," Brian told him encouragingly.

Justin smiled. "I hope so." His smile faded a little as he added softly, "But even if we don't get home in time, I know everything will be okay now." Brian smiled tenderly at him as he explained, "I know I haven't wanted to use a nanny for Shay. But...maybe if we can screen them carefully and find the right person..."

Brian smiled warmly at him in understanding and nodded. "I've missed you, Sunshine." He shook his head in amusement as the waterworks threatened to erupt again before the two of them met for a tender kiss, one that quickly deepened into a more passionate one. It was several minutes before they finally broke apart, Brian's hands cupping his husband's face as he told him, "You look so amazing in firelight."

Justin's eyes widened and he smiled a brilliant smile back at him. "So do you," he whispered, the flames dancing across Brian's hazel eyes and turning them into a kaleidoscope of color; his husband's bronze skin seemed to glow under the firelight, and there were gleams of gold in his hair. God, he was so lucky to have this man's devotion! He reached up to trail his fingers lightly across the strong jaw before he implored, "Brian...Make love to me."

Brian nodded with a gentle smile of his own as he reached over to pull Justin's sweater off, taking a moment to caress the smooth, silky skin of his shoulders and chest as Justin trembled in anticipation. Clothes were then discarded with quick dispatch in record time, the fire serving to keep their bodies warm as Brian pushed Justin down gently lengthwise onto the couch; their desire for each other was abundantly clear as he molded their lower bodies together and stared down into his husband's face. The expression there was one he hadn't seen in some time, but he was so thankful to see it back in full force now.

Justin reached up to caress Brian's jaw with his fingers before they moved down to his shoulder blade; the barest of fingertips slowly skimmed over his husband's muscular, flat chest before a couple of fingers lingered over a dusky-colored, pebbled nipple; Brian's breath quickened at the familiar touch as Justin's fingers swirled over the raised surface a couple of times before, unable to stand it any longer, Brian swooped down for another taste of the lips he craved, the taste he would _always _crave.

Legs tangling, their hands roamed over smooth, warm skin everywhere, reacquainting and remapping angular curves and masculine lines. It was several minutes - occasionally punctuated by sighs and moans - before Brian finally pulled back to stare into the ravaged, swollen lips of the man he loved, knowing instinctively what each wanted, what each needed. Leaning down, he somehow managed to snag his pants lying on the floor to reach inside a pocket and retrieve the needed items: a small packet of lube and a condom. Rising up onto his haunches, he was about to tear open the condom to put it on when Justin's hand reached out to grab his wrist firmly as he shook his head.

"Justin..." They had discussed this before at length, but for whatever reason they had never quite made that final step. Tonight, though, somehow it felt right; it felt necessary for both of them. "Are you sure?"

Justin smiled softly at him and nodded. "Please..." he pleaded. He felt this was the one way he could prove to Brian that he trusted him, that he loved and wanted to be with only him. Would Brian agree, however?

Their eyes locked on each other for a few moments before Brian silently dropped the packet onto the floor. His eyes never leaving his husband's, he tore off the top of the lube packet and squirted some onto his fingers, reaching down between their bodies to rub it onto his cock; Justin hissed slightly as he applied the cold lotion to his puckered hole before pushing one finger inside. Another one soon followed, with Justin jumping slightly underneath him as he crooked them and hit that spot...that wondrous spot that made his husband squirm and moan in anticipation. Justin always had been so responsive, so sensitive to his every touch, and it turned him on immensely.

Justin writhed in exquisite torment as Brian's fingers worked their magic; it had been way too long, and that - along with the thought of soon feeling Brian's cock inside him - skin on delicious skin - only served to heighten his desire to unbearable levels. "Please...now...I need you inside me..."

Brian nodded as he slowly removed his fingers; his heart was pounding at the thought of replacing his achingly hard cock where his fingers had just been. Even now, Justin was always so tight, so incredibly tight and warm, and just the idea of finally experiencing that without any barriers was almost too much to comprehend. His heart began to pound as he reached down to help Justin raise his legs over his shoulders before, holding the base of his cock with one hand, he lined himself up with the pulsating, inviting hole and slowly pushed in, not even realizing he was holding his breath as he did so.

Justin held on tightly to Brian's biceps as he felt the first, initial penetration. He closed his eyes, wanting to savor every single moment of finally feeling Brian inside him, bare and oh so hot as he stretched him to capacity. He moaned as Brian pushed in a little more then, almost tentatively as if he were afraid it was just a fantasy and not a reality. But both knew it was quite real; it was apparent in how wondrous, how incredibly alive it felt.

Brian could feel every pulse, every throb of his cock as he slid deeper inside. He could feel very ridge of muscle, every millimeter of flesh as he pushed in deeper and deeper. It was almost indescribable, even more exhilarating than his most vivid wet dream. His cock was surrounded by tightness and heat as he thrust in more, the beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. Just before he sheathed himself flush against his husband's body, he needed one more thing.

"Justin," he gasped out breathlessly in demand, his head swimming over the sensations pouring through him. "Open your eyes, Sunshine. I have to see those eyes when you come." He knew neither one of them was going to last long; not now, not after this. _Holy shit_...

Justin's heart almost threatened to burst out of his chest; this feeling, this fullness, was something he could never have imagined. His toes curling with delicious anticipation and his body coiled tighter than a drum with desire, he slowly opened his eyes and blinked up at his lover, Brian's eyes dark like coal with flaming need. He nodded in understanding, too lost in emotion and sensations to be able to speak, as he focused on his husband's face - his glorious, majestic face in the throes of full-fledged desire - desire and love for _him. _He tightened his grip on Brian's arm as he prepared for the ride of his life.

And Brian certainly didn't disappoint; he gasped as his husband suddenly thrust in as deeply as he could, until his balls were tight against his ass. The heat, the pulsing heat...

"Fuck...Justin..." Brian had to force himself to breathe in and out; this was beyond mind-blowing as he encased himself fully inside his lover. This connection, this bond was so much more than he had ever imagined it would be. He locked eyes on the dark blue ones for a moment - something unspoken passing between them - before he slid partially out and then fluidly thrust back in to the hilt. Both of them moaned at the sensations as they came together for a deep kiss.

"God, I love you," Justin breathed out as Brian rose back up to thrust deeply inside. "Feels sooo good..." He loudly called out Brian's name as his husband began to piston in and out of him in earnest now, occasionally stealing another kiss as their climaxes began to mount, Justin meeting his body thrust for thrust like it was perfectly choreographed. "Br...Brian," he moaned out as he thrashed his head from side to side. "I...I can't...I..." He couldn't even formulate the words properly, but it didn't matter. Brian knew, he already knew what he was trying to say, for he was feeling the same way.

"Justin..." he breathed out his name as if in reverent prayer, feeling his husband's body tensing with barely restrained passion. He reached down to begin stroking his lover's thick cock, feeling it throbbing under his touch as he squeezed and kneaded it. "Sunshine...Come for me. Do it," he breathed out huskily as he kept stroking in time with his thrusts. "That's it," he urged him as he watched Justin's face scrunching up in pent-up desire. "Let go...Fuck, give it to me..."

That was all it took as Justin cried out loudly and his body arched off the couch, his legs tightening, his toes curling under, and his entire body growing rigid just before his come erupted all over them in streams of milky, sticky white. Somehow he managed to meet Brian's thrusts for several more seconds before Brian's body reached its own crescendo of no return and he shot his hot seed into the tight channel, so copiously that some dribbled out of Justin's body. Brian thought the sight of that - and just the idea of it - was so fucking sexy that he wondered if he would ever come down from the emotional high he was feeling as he collapsed onto Justin's smaller frame and just lay there, spent and overcome with exertion.

His face buried in the sweaty crook of Justin's neck, he felt his husband slide his arm around to slowly stroke his back and buttocks continuously up and down in a lazy sort of motion as they just lay together, twin hearts beating erratically as they tried to regain some semblance of normal breathing.

Finally, Brian raised his head to stare into his husband's glorious-looking face; his eyes were sparkling a deep blue from the results of their lovemaking, his lips were thoroughly plundered, and his hair was plastered to his face, but he thought he looked absolutely magnificent. "That...that was fucking amazing," he murmured breathlessly at last as Justin smiled up at him lazily and nodded, his hands still slowly stroking Brian's back, arms, and shoulders, his fingers causing his husband to shiver despite the warmth being generated by the crackling fire. "Holy shit...if I had known...if I had had any fucking idea..." He shook his head in amazement. "Fuck, we should have been doing that a long time ago."

But both of them knew for some reason they hadn't been ready...until now. Some sea change - some imperceptible shift - had occurred, and they both knew there was no going back now, nor would they want to.

Brian stayed inside Justin's body for a while, knowing how much he adored the feeling and realizing there was no need now to withdraw, until finally with great reluctance he pulled away. Hearing Justin whimper slightly in disappointment, he kissed the tip of his nose playfully before whispering, "Be right back."

A short time later, having rudimentarily cleaned himself off, he returned with a warm, wet washcloth and a couple of towels, taking just a moment to use the fireplace poker to stir up the fire and put a couple of logs on the top to ensure it was roaring back to life, before he walked back over to his husband and, sitting on the edge of the couch, proceeded to tenderly clean his body off.

Throwing the washcloth and towels down onto the floor beside the couch, he asked softly, "You want to go to the bedroom?" Receiving a sleepy shake of Justin's head, he smiled, grateful the couch was nice and wide, before he reached for the crochet over the back of the couch and snuggled in with Justin face to face onto their sides, pulling the cover over their entwined bodies. Soon, the two of them were fast asleep, their arms around each other, lulled into slumber by the aftermath of their lovemaking as well as the crackling from the fire nearby.

* * *

_A/N: Hope you're still out there reading (?). Thank you to those who are, and especially those who are taking the time to comment; it IS very motivating to me. _


	5. The Heart Takes Flight

_As they head back toward Pittsburgh, Brian finds that he has one more surprise in store. Will it be a bad one or a good one?_

* * *

_Next Morning - 8:00 a.m._

Brian wrinkled his nose as something tickled him; his brain slowly began to register that a warm body was pressed up against his, and the tickling was being done by some soft, blond hair brushing against his face. He smiled then, realizing exactly who he was entangled with, and how it had happened. Pulling Justin closer, he simply lay there for a while, unwilling to separate from his lover just yet as he inhaled the familiar, unique scent.

Finally, however, 'nature called' and he gently disentangled himself from Justin's embrace to slide off the couch and head toward the bathroom, shivering a little as his bare feet hit the hardwood floor. The fire that had been blazing away so vigorously last night was now just a slow ember, but his heart warmed at the sight of Justin huddled under the crocheted throw on the couch. Visions of their incredible lovemaking filtered through his mind as he walked into the bedroom to pick up his duffel bag and fish around for some clean clothes.

A few minutes later, he was standing inside the small, porcelain combination bathtub/shower, his eyes closed as he leaned his head back and enjoyed the feel of the hot water streaming down over his hair, back, and buttocks. He jumped slightly in surprise as he felt a pair of warm hands snake around his waist to pull him backward. "You started without me."

Brian smiled as he turned around in Justin's arms to slide his own around the slender waist. "I thought I'd let you sleep in for a change," he replied softly. "You don't get to do that nearly enough."

"Well, I had a special reason for getting up early today," he murmured as he glanced down at Brian's hard-on. "I see I'm not the only one who's up, either," he added with a smirk.

Brian grinned. "You always _were_ observant," he told him as he reached over to locate the liquid soap to squirt some onto his hands. Placing it back on the built-in shelf, he reached down to slowly rub his hand up and down his husband's slippery, hard, shaft, making Justin groan in response as he closed his eyes and surrendered to the incredible sensation. Brian took an inordinate amount of time worshipping Justin's cock until his lover finally exploded in climax, and then began to wash him languorously over every other part of his body. Justin grabbed his wrist to get him to stop after a while before he came again, bestowing the same, sensual treatment on _him _as he slowly slid the bar of soap down Brian's muscled back. Brian's face contorted in bliss, his head thrown back as Justin slowly slid his soapy hand down toward the small of his back and then crept in between his slippery ass cheeks. His husband lurched slightly when he felt Justin's finger sliding inside his hole, then another one joining the first. Soon, however, he was shamelessly fucking himself on those talented fingers, moaning as Justin hit his prostate over and over again until he couldn't take it anymore. Pulling away from him with his dick hard as a rock, he whirled around to turn Justin toward the tiled, rear wall of the bathtub.

Bracing his hands flat against the cool, smooth, wall, Justin felt his husband's body pressed tightly against his, his cock steely and hot as the tip pressed invitingly at his opening. "Brian, fuck me," he implored hoarsely, his body already well prepared for penetration. He sucked in a breath, his entire body tingling as he pushed back brazenly against him.

"So impatient," Brian murmured. But he certainly could understand that feeling, especially after last night. "We're going to save a fortune on condoms now," he quipped. Justin's response was to reach back with his hand and smack him soundly on his ass as he chuckled. "Okay, okay, Sunshine," he murmured soothingly as, holding onto Justin's waist, he pressed inside the slippery, constricted tunnel.

"Ahhhh," Justin moaned loudly as his lover slid deeply inside until their bodies were flush with each other's; just like last night, the sensation of nothing but skin on skin was indescribably delicious. Brian began to piston in and out smoothly then, holding firmly onto Justin's body as they began to move together as one. Justin gasped softly as Brian nipped at the smooth cord of his neck, tilting his head toward the side for Brian to smooth over the initial sting with his tongue, the hot wetness driving him insane as they rocked back and forth sinuously. Brian's lips glided all over his neck and shoulders as he continued to pound into him relentlessly.

"You like that?" he growled gutturally low in his throat as Justin twisted his head just enough to steal a kiss from his husband.

"Fuck, you...you know I do," Justin managed to respond breathlessly as they broke their kiss off; he began to stroke himself toward climax, knowing his release was imminent now. Brian reached down to cup his hand over his as they began to work together, the other hand curled around Justin's waist to hold him tightly against his own body.

The moment that Justin's release erupted, that was all it took for Brian to join him immediately afterward. They stood there, the water quickly turning cold now, before finally Brian reached to turn off the shower. Stretching to snag a large towel from a nearby rack, he gently began to dry Justin off, murmuring, "We may save a lot on condoms, but I have a feeling we might wind up with a larger water bill now. I think that will be a small price to pay, though."

Justin blushed; this business of barebacking was almost too much to handle. He had never felt so close to Brian in his life. Perhaps it wasn't even the actual, physical part of it, either, although that was certainly mindboggling; in a way, he thought it was more what it signified emotionally than the action itself. How he had missed this intimacy! He reached up to grab Brian's wrists. "Brian..."

"Hmm?" He gazed down into the thoughtful face.

"I'm...I'm glad that we talked last night...among other things," he added, feeling his face warming.

Brian grinned with a smirk. "Yeah, I'm glad we 'talked,' too."

Justin smiled as he slid his arms around Brian's waist; Brian looped the towel around Justin's back with both hands to pull him even closer. It only took a few seconds for the two of them to come together for a deep kiss, only to be interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door. Brian groaned in disappointment as they broke apart. "What? We have maid service now, too?" He turned around toward the door and made a left to head down the short hallway, away from the bedroom.

"Brian! You can't answer the door that way!" Justin called after him from the doorway, mortified. "Come back here and get dressed!"

Brian turned around and rolled his eyes. "You spoil everything. I suppose you'll make Shay run around in _his_ clothes back home, too."

Justin laughed as he yelled out to their visitor, "We'll be right there!" before he and Brian headed to the bedroom to throw some clothes on.

About a minute later, Justin shuffled hurriedly toward the door, Brian still getting dressed. Sliding back the security bolt, he peeked through the crack and smiled warmly. "Lenora! Or should I call you Mrs. Claus?" She was holding a large platter covered with aluminum foil; a large Thermos was wedged between her arm and her body.

"Hey, Sweetie!" She boomed out. "Open up! I've brought you some room service!"

Justin nodded as he closed the door to disengage the bolt and then reopen it. She blew inside like a rush of wind as Justin followed her over to the small dinette table. "You really didn't have to do this," he protested as she placed the thermos and platter down with a thump, uncovering the tray to reveal two plates loaded with fresh fruit, bacon, scrambled eggs, and whole-wheat toast - one slice buttered and one dry. She apparently had an excellent memory.

"Nonsense!" she crowed. "You can't leave here on an empty stomach, and I figured you'd want to get started as soon as possible. There's coffee in the thermos; it's an old one that belonged to my father, and I don't have any need for it. You and your hubby take it with you."

Justin's eye's widened in hope as he rushed over to the window; he hadn't even thought to look outside yet. His face broke out into a delighted smile as he realized it had stopped snowing, and the road had actually been plowed! "You think it's okay to head out now?" he asked her as he turned around to face her.

She nodded with a smile. "I talked to Sheriff Jenson a little while ago; he's a regular at the diner each morning," she explained. "Always comes in for a heaping plate of sausage, fried eggs, grits, and hash browns. I'm always telling him that he's eating his way to an early grave..."

"Lenora!" Justin interrupted her impatiently. "Did you ask him about the roads?" he pressed eagerly.

She smiled and nodded. "Yes. He says it quit snowing right after midnight, and the temperature's in the upper 20's, so the salt's been fairly effective on the main roads. He said some of the back roads are still snow covered, but with a four-wheel drive you should be able to handle it. The snow emergency's been lifted. I even had Gordie brush off that big yacht of yours this morning. You can leave whenever you want."

Justin's face lit up as Brian came shuffling into the room, now dressed in jeans and a round-necked sweater, but still clad in bare feet. "Did you hear that?" he said as Brian walked up to them. "We can head back out now! Maybe we can make it back home in time after all!"

Brian smiled at Justin's euphoric face. "Yeah, I heard. And we WILL get there in time now, no matter what," he promised him as he reached over to grab him by the side of the neck and pull him over for a kiss. It was meant to be a brief one, but as usual it turned into something more passionate until Lenora cleared her throat to break them up.

"Sorry," Justin told her sheepishly as she shook her head.

"No need," she told them with a smile, the love clearly showing in both of their faces. "I'm just happy for the both of you. Now get over there and get some breakfast before it gets cold."

Justin's eyes welled up in gratitude as Brian shook his head unsurprised, sliding his arm around Justin's waist. "Lenora, we don't know how to thank you. Putting us up here for the night, fixing up breakfast, brushing off the SUV for us, the coffee...You don't even _know _us."

"It's what we do in a small town," she explained simply. "And it's Christmas. The time for miracles. Now you go catch some breakfast. And when you get home, you can thank me by giving that precious baby a big kiss from me...Okay?"

Justin nodded with a smile as she leaned over to give both him and Brian a kiss on the cheek before heading out the door. Just before she left, she turned to advise them, "Just leave the tray and the key on the table when you leave; I'll take care of it. And..._Merry Christmas_!"

"You too, Lenora," Brian told her as she quietly opened and closed the door behind her, leaving the two husbands alone. He turned to sweep Justin up into his arms. "She's really something, isn't she?" he murmured with a smile.

Justin nodded, suddenly feeling hopeful after so long. "Like our own Christmas angel," he whispered. He slid his hands up Brian's chest to rest on his shoulder blades. "I...I still can't believe how this has turned out," he told Brian as he looked around their temporary 'home away from home.' "I mean, meeting her by chance yesterday, and her putting us up here for the night. The roads being cleared for us to leave this morning, you finding that train set..."

"Yeah," Brian whispered as he gazed into the bright, blue eyes. "It's almost like it was meant to be...just like _us_." He pulled Justin closer. "Maybe it was," he added softly. "I know _I_ don't regret it...if it meant we could clear the air. And especially not after last night," he added, his cock twitching merely at the memory.

Justin's face warmed, too, as he recalled their amazing lovemaking session; when he hoped that they would regain the intimacy they had lost, he had never imagined or hoped that it would culminate in _that_ sort of closeness. But, holy shit; was he glad that it had. "Neither do I," he told him as he reached up to stroke Brian's cheek with the back of his hand. "As long as we can get home in time to spend Christmas Eve with Shay - and even if we don't now - I don't regret it, either. It was just what we needed."

Brian nodded as they came together for another kiss. This one wasn't as long as some others they had shared in the past 24 hours, but their sense of urgency in wanting to get back on the road as soon as possible superseded it.

"Let's hurry up and eat so we can get going," Brian suggested as they reluctantly broke apart, tugging Justin over to the dinette table to sit down. Fifteen minutes later, they had everything packed up and, with one, final wave and a grateful nod at Lenora through the diner's large, plate glass window, they were on their way back toward the expressway.

* * *

_Ten Minutes Later..._

"How long?" Brian asked as Justin reset the GPS.

"About nine and ½ hours," he told him, his heart beating fast. This was actually doable! "Brian, if we don't run into any more bad weather between here and Pittsburgh - and if the roads are all cleared off..."

"...We should be back in Britin around dinner time."

Justin beamed at him as they merged back into the main traffic, leaving their temporary, small-town life behind. "I know. We can be home just in time for Christmas Eve after all!" He let out a deep breath. "I would have never thought it was possible," he murmured. "If you hadn't thought to rent this SUV...Brian, have I told you recently how much I love you?"

Brian grinned as he glanced in the rearview mirror, making sure it was okay to steer into the middle lane; he wanted to make up for as much lost time as possible. "Oh, I think I might have heard you say it a few dozen times last time, right before and after you came." He chuckled as Justin reached over to smack him on his upper leg.

"Well, for the record, _Mr. Taylor-Kinney_, I seem to recall you saying the same thing to me more than once last night, too," he replied just a little proudly, at least in Brian's opinion.

He grinned over at Justin, admitting, "Yeah, it might have escaped my lips a couple of times when you caught me in a weak moment."

Justin laughed. "Oh, _that _explains it," he said with a grin. Almost of one accord, their hands reached out to grasp the other's tightly. It felt so right, so good to be back where they belonged.

* * *

_Thirty Minutes Later..._

Brian glanced over at his husband; in between sips of coffee from Lenora's thermos, he had been doing a lot of texting. "Texting your mother to let her know we plan on being back home today after all?" He knew that Justin had called her yesterday after Brian had rented the SUV to let her know they would be coming home a different way, but at the time he had no idea how long it would take - or even if they would be home in time.

He nodded. "Yeah," he said as his fingers continued to fly over the small keypad.

Brian chuckled. "Well, you must be giving her a blow-by-blow description," he teased him.

Justin's face warmed as he read the reply to the text he had just sent. He grinned at Brian's choice of words. "Well, not quite _that _detailed," he told him with a smile as Brian smirked. "But you know how I am," he told him. "I had to ask her all about Shay and how he's doing. She said he slept better last night," he told him as Brian nodded. "But she's almost as excited about the prospect of us getting home later this evening as we are."

"Yeah, and probably someone _else _we know, too," Brian told him. He turned to peer over briefly at Justin, noticing the sun was actually beginning to peek out now from the numerous clouds overhead. "I'm sure Deb's not happy about Gus and JR not coming here for Christmas," he added. "Michael told me he would tell her, thank God. I know _I _didn't want to be around her when she found out. If you think_ I _miss Gus, that's nothing compared to the wrath of a grandma scorned. At least your mother seems to be a little more reasonable about it."

Justin nodded. "Yeah, but she's really disappointed Gus isn't going to be there, too," he pointed out.

Brian turned his attention back to the road. "You realize what this means, don't you? Both grandmas are going to be lavishing all their attention on their only grandchild in attendance - which means we may not get much privacy for the next few days."

Justin reached over to squeeze Brian's hand, having let it go earlier when he started his texting. "That's okay," he told him. "That's what Christmas is all about; being with family." He realized what he had said when he noticed Brian's face fall slightly; it was barely noticeable, but he readily recognized it. "I'm sorry, Brian..."

Brian shook his head to stop him. "It's okay, Justin; I know what you mean." He paused for a moment before he turned his head to smile over at him reassuringly. "At least we'll be with Shay - and the rest of the family."

Justin nodded as he turned back to his screen, rapidly keying in his message as he and his recipient furiously texted back and forth, the soft strains of a Christmas carol playing on the radio as he and Brian drove toward their destination.

* * *

An hour later, Brian furrowed his brow as he glanced over at Justin, who was STILL texting on his phone. "Sunshine, there is no way you're still texting your mom, not with her taking care of Shay; I know that kid too well. What is going on? Who are you texting with?"

Justin punched an additional, short message before he finally raised his head to acknowledge Brian's question. "Brian, we'll need to take a short detour near Indianapolis," he told him abruptly, his voice tinged with what sounded like excitement.

Brian frowned. "Why? Is there bad weather up ahead?" He knew from experience that the weather in the Midwest could change on a dime; one hour it could be sunny, the next it could cloud up and the sky might open up with a deluge of rain or snow.

But Justin shook his head. "It's not the weather," he told him mysteriously.

Brian eyed him with a hint of irritation over his vagueness. He sighed. "Then what, Justin? You want to stop there for lunch?"

"No, not exactly; but it _would _be around lunchtime, though, so that might be a good idea."

"Justin, for fuck's sake! Why am I stopping in Indianapolis, then? It's a little early for the Indy 500."

Justin nodded. "Yeah...but it's right on time to pick up some arriving passengers at the airport."

A car bleated its horn as Brian almost veered into the right lane in response to Justin's words. "What?!" he replied. "What are you talking about?"

Justin, "Well, the airport back home is still closed to incoming flights...but not Indianapolis. That's the closest one that's fully operational right now around here - and it's pretty much right on the way home."

Brian's mouth hung open. _Was it possible_? "Are you telling me what I hope you're telling me?" As he glanced over at Justin's face, his heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened, because his husband was positively beaming as he nodded.

"Yeah...We need to pick up four passengers: two adults and two children."

"But...But _how_?" Brian sputtered in disbelief. Then he realized part of what had been going on right under his nose. "You haven't been texting your mom all this time, have you?"

Justin grinned. "No...If you must know, I've been battling back and forth with Lindsay and laying a huge guilt trip on her instead. And it worked. She, Mel, and the kids are just about to board a flight from Toronto to Indianapolis. They should land right about the time we get there. We may have to wait thirty minutes or so, but she's supposed to text me when they land with the gate info."

Brian shook his head in amazement, words escaping him for a few moments as Justin's words sank in. Was this really happening? "They're definitely coming?" he pressed, needing the confirmation.

Justin placed his phone down and reached his hand over to squeeze Brian's upper leg. "Yes, _Dad_, they really _are_ coming; ALL of them."

Brian couldn't help the smile that began to break out all over his face; his son was coming back for Christmas after all! "I still don't see understand how you accomplished that," he told Justin as he peered over at him with both admiration and love. "What in the hell did you say to convince her to change her plans?"

Justin shrugged. "I just told her that Gus's father - and J.R.'s - deserved to spend time with their children during the most important time of the year, and that she was being selfish. And that Christmas should be for family that IS, not for the family she might _wish _it to be. I told her there would be other times to make amends with her father if that's what she wanted to do, but that it wasn't fair to deprive you of the only gift you were wishing for this Christmas; and that she owed this to you for how wonderful a father you've always been to Gus."

Brian eyed him skeptically. "And she agreed to it, just like that?"

Justin hesitated. "Well, it wasn't quite that easy," he admitted as Brian snorted, already having ascertained there was more to it than that. "I mean...I think she understood, but..."

"...But Mel tried to talk her out of it." To Brian's surprise, though, Justin shook his head. "No?"

Justin clarified, "No...It wasn't Mel. Mel actually _agreed_ with me, believe it or not. Although I think it could have been the lesser of two evils, though," he admitted. "She's not very fond of Lindsay's father, either."

Brian's jaw twitched. "That sounds more like it." He and Mel would never be the best of friends; it was more like they tolerated each other. Perhaps one day he could think of her as more than that. "But it doesn't matter," he decided as he reached over to caress Justin's cheek with the palm of his hand. "What matters is that Gus is going to be there for Christmas with us after all. And what matters is that I...I have the best damn husband that any man could ask for. And the most handsome kids, too."

Justin chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you have your priorities on straight at least."

Brian turned his head back to the road as he reached over to grip Justin's hand. No words could express what he felt at that moment, but he knew later on - once they were all home and everyone was in bed - that he would show him just how grateful he was for having him in his life.


	6. No Place Like Home for the Holidays

_Brian's wish comes true as he's reunited with his son; the boys prepare for a Christmas extravaganza. Will they find any time to be alone, however?_

* * *

_Two Hours Later - Indianapolis_

Brian glanced over as he heard a chime sound from Justin's phone. He watched as Justin glanced down to read the message before he smiled. That's when it became clear that this was no dream; it really was happening. "Justin?"

Justin grinned as he looked over at him. "They just landed; they said to wait for them around the incoming lounge area for Delta. Lindsay also said to warn you they were passing out candy canes to the kids on the plane, so Gus is now on a sugar buzz."

Brian chuckled; his son was quite fond of sweets, but he knew the girls normally kept them to a minimum. When he _did_ get something sugary, then, he tended to start bouncing off the walls.

"Serves Lindsay right," he quipped with a smirk.

"I think he's just excited about seeing his old man," Justin decided as he eyed Brian impishly.

"Can you please not use that word?"

"Excited, you mean?" Justin responded as Brian mock-glared at him. "_Ohhh_...the 'O' word; sorry." He smiled. "I can't wait to see Gus," he told Brian. "And the girls and J.R., too. I bet she's really grown a lot since the last time we saw her." His eyes widened. "Oh, shit! I wonder if anyone's contacted Michael and Debbie to let them know she's coming for Christmas! I'd better call Michael to make sure!"

Brian snorted. "Justin...You did text your mother about it, didn't you?"

"Of course." He grinned. "I get it. She's not as bad as Debbie, usually; but when it comes to her grandkids, she is. I can see there will be no need to do that now. But we DO need to stop at a Big Q somewhere."

Brian frowned. "Excuse me? I don't 'do' Big Q. Especially on Christmas Eve. Are you out of your little, blond mind?"

Justin huffed. "No, I am not. We'll need booster seats for the kids," he explained.

Brian nodded in understanding then, silently touched by Justin's thoughtfulness as he glanced up at the nearest destination sign on the side of the highway; now that he knew he was about to see his son, Indianapolis couldn't come soon enough for him. First, though, they would have to find the store. While Justin found the booster seats, HE would be waiting outside in the SUV.

* * *

_Thirty Minutes Later..._

"I can't fucking believe it took us fifteen minutes just to find a damn parking space," Brian growled as he burst into the airport; Justin had to literally run to keep up with his longer legged partner.

"Brian, slow down! They're not going anywhere," he reminded him. "We're their transportation, remember?"

"I don't want Lindsay to have any possible way to change her mind," Brian replied as he glanced around hurriedly at the directional signs. "Where's the fucking waiting area?" he asked as he craned his head around. This was one of the few airports he had never used before.

"Over there," Justin instructed him breathlessly as he grabbed Brian's sleeve and steered him down the long, tiled lobby area toward the far end; a sign announcing _'arriving flights'_ was swinging from a couple of heavy chains above a bank of escalators.

They reached the far right escalator in record time as Brian pushed his way through the throng of people standing on the escalator as he ran helter-skelter down the moving steps; Justin mumbled an apology to them as he followed along behind him, Brian's taller statue helping him to keep track of his determined husband.

"Brian, for God's sake; slow the hell down!" he finally yelled at him as he reached the lower floor and couldn't find Brian nearby. He felt a momentary rush of panic that they would become separated before he jumped when Brian grabbed his sleeve and muttered, "Come on, Sunshine!"

Thankfully, the waiting area was only a few steps away, situated just before the exit from the Delta terminal shuttles. A series of small, round tables were scattered around the lounge area, in addition to a bank of chairs along the far wall and some vending machines nearby, but both of them were far too wired up to sit down as they stood there among the crowd, watching the throngs of arriving passengers walking toward them on their way to the baggage claim area or the parking garage.

"Where _are_ they?" Brian grumbled impatiently as he stared intently at all the people rushing by with their wheeled carry-on bags or backpacks slung over their shoulders. "They should have been here by now."

"Patience, Dad," Justin told him soothingly. "There're a lot of flights right now, since they were diverted here from other airports. They'll be here; don't worry." He slid his arm around Brian's waist comfortingly, feeling the tenseness of his husband's body next to his. Truth be told, he was just as anxious as Brian was to see Gus and the rest of the family, even if he _did _think Lindsay had almost made a big mistake. At least she had listened to reason, though, and that was all that mattered now.

Suddenly through the throng of people they both heard a familiar, high-pitched, delighted shriek of "Daddy!" and they both instantly knew that Gus had arrived. They had just enough time to turn around toward the sound of his voice when Gus launched himself full-tilt into his father, nearly knocking him down in his excitement. Justin barely had enough time to grab Brian's sleeve to keep him upright as Gus wrapped his arms around Brian's upper legs. "You really _are _here!" Gus cried out in delight as he hugged his father tightly.

Brian's eyes watered at the sound of his son's voice as he cradled his son's head against his body and held him close, caressing the soft, brown hair. "Sonny Boy," he murmured as he glanced over at Justin, who smiled back at him, his eyes also glistening with happy tears. He looked up as a harried-looking Lindsay and Mel came rushing up to them with their carryon luggage, J.R. holding onto her mother's hand.

"Gus, what did I tell you about running ahead of us?" Lindsay gently chided him. "You could have gotten lost."

"He's fine, Wendy," Brian scolded her, unable to be upset with the boy he dearly loved and had missed so terribly.

Lindsay nodded as she smiled over at Justin. "Hello, Justin," she greeted her friend quietly, sounding a little uncomfortable. Justin had been polite but very stern earlier during his texts, making no pretense over how he felt regarding her decision to keep Gus apart from Brian during the holidays.

"Hey, Lindsay," he returned the greeting politely as he turned to look over at Mel. "Hi, Mel."

"Hey, Sweetie," she greeted him with a genuine smile. Mel had always had a soft spot for Justin, ever since he had run into them out on the street that one day and had offered to carry their groceries home for them. Back then, she had looked at him as a sweet, innocent, persistent, love-infatuated kid. But now she regarded him more as a contemporary; a mature, thoughtful, and loving man, even though his choice of husband wouldn't have been _her_ choice. However, she was in full agreement with Justin regarding Lindsay's rather impetuous decision to keep Gus apart from Brian at Christmas. If someone had tried to do that to _her_ regarding J.R., she would have been distinctly unhappy about it, also.

"It's good to see you," she told Justin sincerely as she held tightly onto her daughter's hand. The bustling airport was an ideal spot to lose one or both of their children in the blink of an eye. She peered over at Brian who had hefted Gus up into his arms as the little boy wrapped his legs around his father and slid his arms around his neck. Gus's eyes were lit up with happiness over seeing his father, and he had a huge smile on his face. Even though Brian wasn't her favorite person sometimes, even _she_ could easily see how much Gus loved him. "Brian," she said in quiet acknowledgment.

"Mel," Brian greeted her just as simply with a nod of his head. "How are you, J.R.?" Brian asked the little girl, who shyly turned her head into her mother's side as Brian grinned in amusement. He turned back to Lindsay to ask, "Do you have any luggage you checked in?"

Lindsay shook her head. "No, this is all we have," she explained as she glanced over at Justin. "We didn't have a lot of advance notice to pack," she added dryly.

Justin shrugged unapologetically, unwilling to back down from what he had done. He loved Lindsay and Mel - and thought of them as good friends - but what she had tried to do was wrong. He was just thankful that she had realized that before it was too late. While he did consider her and Mel friends, Brian would always take priority over anyone else to him.

Brian nodded as they turned to start walking back toward baggage claim and the exit toward the parking lot. "So are you ready for Santa, Sonny Boy?" he asked his son, who nodded eagerly. "Have you been a good boy this year?"

Gus nodded as J.R. finally found her tongue to speak. "It's not nice to lie, Gus," she scolded him as Brian chuckled.

"I am TOO a good boy!" he told his sister stiffly, his lower lip jutting out in defiance.

"You broke my doll!"

"I did not!" he growled as he looked back behind his father toward her. "I was just pretending to be a doctor," he maintained.

Brian looked over at Lindsay, who explained, "He twisted her favorite doll's arm so he could treat it with some gauze we had in the bathroom and reset it. Only problem was, he couldn't get the arm back the way it was supposed to be, so we wound up having to perform an emergency amputation."

"Ohhh," Brian murmured in understanding, amused by his son's antics. "Well, I'm sure Santa knew he meant well, and I'm sure he will bring you a new doll for being such a good girl, too." J.R. smiled back at him, pleased at the prospect as she stuck her tongue out at her brother and he did the same behind Brian's back.

Justin clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from bursting out laughing, figuring that wouldn't sit too well with J.R., who was still highly insulted over her brother's misguided attempt at career advancement. He could imagine Brian doing much the same type of thing when _he_ was a child; that is, if he hadn't been dodging his father's attempt to break his arm for real. That thought immediately sobered him as he followed alongside the rest of the group. Thank God Brian had turned out to be worlds apart from his hateful father. From the loving, tender way that Brian treated both of his sons, no one would ever guess that his husband was the product of such a horrific, loveless childhood.

Dismissing that unpleasant thought from his mind, he hurried to catch up with them as Brian turned around to check on him. He lifted an eyebrow in question, noticing a distressed expression briefly flicker across Justin's face. Justin shook his head and smiled at him as if to reassure him that everything was all right before Brian finally nodded. Fifteen minutes later, the group was blissfully away from the surging crowd and heading out in the rental SUV back toward the expressway.

* * *

By the time the group neared Britin, the two children were fast asleep and they were greeted with a moonless sky. The roads were thankfully in fair enough shape that the SUV was able to navigate the roads pretty easily, even though it was obvious by the amount of snow piled up on the sides of the road that it had been a storm of mammoth proportions. The white blanket served to help illuminate their journey as they headed into West Virginia at last, minutes from home.

As they reached Britin and Brian slowed down in front of the house to enter the curved driveway, all the adults in the car gasped in delight at the Norman Rockwell picture in front of them. The Christmas lights that Justin had so artistically and carefully arranged around the grounds were ablaze, the snow glinting around them and creating a wondrous array of nature, like thousands and thousands of tiny diamonds shining. The house was lit up on the inside as well, and several cars were scattered around the front of the house.

"Holy shit," Brian murmured. "What's going on here?" He even noticed what appeared to be a white catering truck parked down at the other end of the curved driveway. "We go away for a few days and our house turns into the North Pole."

Justin's mouth hung open in surprised delight like a little kid's; when he told his mother what was going on via text, he figured she would let Michael and Debbie know; that, in turn, meant that Hunter and Ben would know, too. But did _everyone_ in the Pitts find out they were coming home? From the looks of things, it appeared that way. But truthfully, he couldn't be happier. To him, Christmas meant spending it with family and friends, and apparently they had a LOT of them.

"Brian, park the car!" he commanded eagerly as he reached over to grab Brian's wrist.

Brian rolled his eyes good-naturedly at him, but did as he asked as he came to a stop in front of the garage; thankfully no one had parked there. "Go on," he told him as the kids began to stir in the backseat; the two moms were in the very back. "I'll take care of the suitcases after I pull into the garage." He hit the remote control button as the heavy garage door began to slide upward.

"Is Santa here yet?" Gus asked groggily from his booster seat, rubbing his eyes in disorientation as he looked around.

"Where?" J.R. asked beside him as she swiveled her head back and forth as if she were looking for Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer.

Mel laughed. "Not yet, baby," she told her gently. "It's still dinnertime. Santa comes while you're asleep, remember? He'll be here later tonight, but only after you go to bed." She had long ago realized that she and Lindsay would have to compromise on their holiday traditions, both of them deciding to celebrate both holidays each December. "Ready to go see Daddy?' she asked her daughter as the little girl nodded with a smile, struggling to unbuckle her booster seat.

"Here, J.R.," Gus offered helpfully as her big brother reached over to deftly unbuckle her restraint. Justin was already out of the car as he closed the door and gazed up at the lights shining everywhere; it was like a winter fantasyland, he decided, as he heard the distinct sound of Christmas carols playing inside.

As soon as the others disembarked from the car, the front door opened and to no one's surprise, Debbie bounded outside, clad in a set of brown, felt reindeer antlers and wearing a pink Christmas tee-shirt and a pair of jeans. Justin chuckled as he read the message on the shirt: _If I Had Any More Christmas Spirit I'd Be Pooping Jingle Bells._

"There're my babies!" she screeched in delight as she rushed toward the group and held out her hands like a human bulldozer, oblivious to the cold air. "Come over here and give me a hug!"

Somewhat reluctantly the two kids obeyed; it wasn't that they didn't adore their Grandma Debbie, but as the generation before them had already discovered she could be a little overly effusive at times. Gus and J.R. graciously put up with several seconds of red-lipsticked kisses all over their faces and a big bear hug from Debbie, however, before she finally let them go so she could greet the rest of the arriving group.

"Get in here and warm yourselves up!" she demanded of them after she had given Mel, Lindsay, and Justin a hug and a kiss as well. "I've got a big pot of my homemade spiced cider on the stove!"

"How's Shay?" Justin asked as the rest of the group headed inside to get out of the cold.

"He's just perfect, Honey!" she informed him as he smiled in relief. "I could pinch those chubby little cheeks all day long! He's going to be a lady killer, I tell ya," she proclaimed. "Or a man killer!" she added with a cackle over her own joke. "Jen's with him in the living room. Everyone's anxious to see you and even Brian," she quipped with a smirk. "Where is the little asshole, anyway?"

Justin grinned over her affectionate term; she wasn't fooling him for a second. "He's bringing in some of the luggage," he told her. "I'll be right in after I go help him out."

She shivered in the cold, realizing in her excitement she had rushed out without her coat on. "Well, hurry up, Sunshine, before your balls get cold! Oops, I think they're playing my song!" she crowed as she turned around and hurried back inside. Justin shook his head in amusement as she closed the door quickly behind her, muffling the strains of what sounded suspiciously like _Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer _blaring from the house-wide stereo system inside.

Turning around, he headed back down the sidewalk and over to the garage to meet Brian near the back of the vehicle. "Well, I see Debbie's here," he told him dryly with a smirk. "I think the entire town has figured that out by now."

Justin grinned as he took one of the suitcases from Brian. "Yeah, if it was anyone other than Deb, I would say she's got more than just cinnamon sticks in her spiced cider."

Brian snorted. "Yeah, but we know better. She's just high on Christmas," he told him as Justin nodded. He sighed. "So much for our little private family Christmas."

Justin smiled as he leaned up to give Brian a brief kiss on the lips. "I don't mind," he told him. "I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas than with all of our friends and family."

Brian looked at him aghast. "Shit, Sunshine! Have I taught you nothing since we met?" he groused. "I can think of a much more pleasurable way to spend OUR Christmas; especially _now_."

Justin blushed; truthfully, he could barely think of anything else since last night. But he knew there would be time for that later. He lowered his voice to explain huskily, "We'll have all the time in the world once everyone goes back home, Brian. And once we find the right nanny..."

Brian nodded as he pulled Justin to his side, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek. "Yeah...and that'd better be one damn quick search, too. I'll be calling them day after tomorrow to set up some interviews."

Justin laughed. "Come on, Tiger," he teased him as Brian curled his lips under. "Let's go greet our mob inside."

Brian nodded as the two of them headed toward the door, steeling himself for an overdose of holiday cheer.

* * *

Chapter End Notes:

_Well, I thought I could finish this up in one more chapter, but, of course, I was overly optimistic.;) So here's part of what I've written; I'll have the last part up hopefully tomorrow. Thank you to everyone who has read and especially reviewed; it is greatly appreciated. _


	7. Sunburst

_The two fathers finally get a chance to be reunited with their youngest son as the house gears up for its holiday festivities._

* * *

"I don't suppose we could just sneak up the steps unobserved?" Brian whispered as they opened the door and were immediately assaulted by a plethora of sights, smells, and sounds. A medley of voices were in the midst of a rousing chorus of _Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer_ - one of Gus's favorite songs - while another group was carrying on boisterously in the direction of the kitchen. From the sound of things, there could have been well over several dozen people in the house.

"Oh, my God; we'll be heading downstairs to the media room to watch _It's a Wonderful Life_ before we know it," Brian drawled. "I say we make a run for it upstairs before anyone else knows we're here."

"Too late," Justin told him with a smile as Emmett came rushing toward them from the kitchen, a glass, pedestal mug of hot cider in one hand and a big, poinsettia-decorated plate of homemade cookies in the other. "Hey, Baby!" he greeted Justin gregariously as he kissed him on one cheek, and then the other. He eyed Brian carefully. "And hello to _you_, too, Ebenezer," he quipped, noticing the somewhat sour expression on Brian's face. "Come in the living room with me! We're about to play some Christmas trivia, and you're a walking encyclopedia." Justin was always being kidded about his wealth of knowledge regarding the most inane things, so much so that he was quite popular whenever the gang got together for any type of board game that involved trivia.

Justin could hear Brian groan quietly beside him as he told his friend apologetically, "Maybe later, Em. Brian and I would like to go check on Shay first. Do you know where he is?"

Emmett nodded with a smile. "Sure do; he's so adorable! I think he might just rival you in the smile department one day," he told Justin. "He's upstairs with his Grandma Jen."

Justin nodded. "Thanks; Brian and I want to go see him first and freshen up a little. We'll be down in a while, okay?"

"Well, don't take _too_ long," Emmett scolded him. "I have Blake and Teddy on my team, and they suck at trivia!" Justin laughed as Emmett gave him a 'tata' in way of a goodbye before twirling around to head back down the hallway toward the living room where the other participants were waiting for him.

Brian shuddered. "Come on, Sunshine. If I experience any _more_ Christmas cheer, I think I'm going to puke." He grabbed Justin's hand as the two of them carried the luggage up the steps; they deposited them in a larger-sized guest bedroom a couple of doors down before heading in search of Jennifer and their son. To their surprise, they did not find them in the nursery as they would have anticipated. That wasn't too unusual, though; Shay always seemed to be soothed by someone carrying him from room to room whenever he was agitated, so Justin suggested that she try walking around with him if he was feeling restless. There was something about the movement that seemed to pacify him - that and singing to him, although Justin had a much better voice than Brian did when it came to that duty.

"Which room, do you think?" he asked Brian softly; at least upstairs all the celebration below was somewhat muted.

Brian shrugged. "How 'bout you take the west end and I'll take the east end?"

"Why do I hear an Irish song in there somewhere?" Justin asked as Brian swatted him on the ass. "Hey!" he whispered before Brian stole a kiss from him.

"Get going, Sunshine," he growled in mock reproach as Justin nodded back at him with a grin.

* * *

A few minutes later, Justin could hear his mother's soft voice coming from a room nearby; it was three doors down from their master bedroom, and was one of his favorite rooms. It was currently outfitted as yet another guest bedroom, but had a great deal of light during the day, and he always thought it would be a wonderful studio. For now, however, he was more concerned with being reunited with his son. He turned to catch Brian's attention down the hall, motioning for him to follow as Brian nodded and headed back down the other direction.

Walking quietly up to the doorway, he paused just inside to observe his mother standing near the window, holding Shay in her arms as she rocked back and forth slightly and softly hummed a childhood song that she had sung to Justin as a child. He smiled in remembrance as he quietly walked over to her; a slight creak in the hardwood floor caused her to turn around then, her face transforming into one of pleasure as she realized who it was. "Justin!" she gushed out in a whisper. "You're back!" Just like always, her heart warmed at the sight of her oldest child, even though she was quite mindful of him no longer being a child. To her, though, he would _always_ be her little boy. "I'm so glad you got home safely," she murmured as he walked up and kissed her on the cheek. "Brian's with you? And Gus and the girls?"

Justin nodded with a smile, his eyes reserved for the chubby, little golden-haired child fast asleep in her arms. "How's he doing?" he asked. He smiled tenderly at the sight of Shay swaddled in a light green blanket, his mouth slightly parted as he softly breathed in and out in sleep. His left hand was curled under into a tiny, little fist, his delicate fingernails dug into his palm. He was wearing an outfit Justin had never seen before, no doubt a present from one of his doting grandmothers: a red, knit onesie with a white collar and a green Christmas tree on his chest. His rosy cheeks reflected a healthy glow, and he was clutching his favorite pacifier in his other hand, no doubt after pulling it out of his mouth earlier like he often did.

Jennifer smiled at the wondrous look on her son's face; it was much the same way that she used to look at _him_ when he was a child. Where did all the time go? She could see a lot of her son in Shay's face: the same button nose, the same long eyelashes, the same skin tone, even the angle of his jaw and the shape of his lips and ears. She wondered, too, if he would wind up blinding everyone with his smile the same way that Justin always did - and _still_ did. She gazed down at the slumbering child in her arms as she assured his father, "He's doing just fine, Sweetheart. He fell asleep a few minutes ago after I walked around with him for a while." She smiled. "I stood with him underneath the hall ceiling fan for a few minutes, and I think he went into a trance before he fell asleep. It always worked like a charm when YOU were little."

Justin chuckled. "Has he been eating okay?" he asked her softly as he continued to stare in awe at the miracle in front of him. Shay never stopped to amaze him in his perfection. Of course, he figured that perhaps he might be just a bit prejudiced regarding his assessment, but he couldn't help it. When he looked at his son, his heart filled to overflowing and threatened to explode out of his chest with happiness, much like the day he and Brian had gotten married. Those two days - along with the day he first met Brian and Gus was born - would always hold a special place in his heart.

Jennifer laughed softly. "Justin, he's eating just like he always does - with gusto," she teased as Justin huffed a little in indignation and she chuckled at his reaction. It was a running joke between them that his son's appetite was quickly rivaling his own. He silently hoped that Shay's metabolism would wind up being the same, also, or at the rate _he_ was eating he would look like a baby hippo in no time. Right now, though, he was perfect; absolutely perfect.

A soft noise behind them made both of them turn around to see Brian walking into the room. "How's my guy?" he asked them as he walked up to them and stood on the other side of Jennifer. He smiled tenderly down at his son, unable to help reaching over to lightly stroke one soft, downy cheek with the back of his hand. The festive sounds from below were far removed at the moment as he gazed in amazement at the miniature version of his husband. "Deb's right," he whispered unexpectedly, swallowing the emotional lump in his throat. "He _is_ going to be killer."

Jen frowned at the unusual statement, but noticed a smile cross Justin's face over his husband's words as he explained then what Debbie had said to them before. She grinned. "I couldn't agree more," she told them softly as all three of them continued to stare at the child. Instinctively feeling that the two fathers needed a little private time with their son, Jennifer said, "I'm going to head downstairs and check on the festivities. Will you two be down soon? You can keep the intercom on in case he wakes up in the nursery, but I think he'll be asleep for a while now."

Justin nodded as he continued to stare at his son; it felt almost like a lifetime since he had last seen him, even if in reality it had only been a few days. "Yeah, we'll be there in a while," he murmured before turning to give his mom a brief kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for everything, Mom," he told her with a smile as she nodded, handing the child back to his father.

"Me, too, Jennifer," Brian told her with a smile of his own. "Thanks for watching out for him while we were gone. And...Thanks for taking care of everything else, even if it _does_ remind me of a frat party run amok downstairs."

Jennifer chuckled softly as she smiled. "You're both welcome. Take your time," she told them. "See you in a little while."

The two men nodded as she quietly turned and headed back out of the room, leaving them alone with their child. Justin let out a deep breath of relief that they were finally back at Britin. Everything seemed right now as he held Shay in his arms. They were back with their sons - both of them - and their family and friends were all here to celebrate Christmas together. He couldn't think of a more perfect picture.

He looked up at Brian and smiled. "I'm so glad to be home," he told him.

Brian nodded. "Yeah, me, too." He paused for a moment before adding, "You know, sometimes I wish that _I_ was the artist in this family."

Justin smiled. "Why? You still make a lot more money than I do," he teased him.

Brian shook his head. "No, that's not it," he told him softly, even though he knew Justin was kidding. "I wish I was an artist so I could draw a picture of what I'm seeing right now," he admitted as Justin's eyes watered sentimentally. He grinned at his reaction. "You are such a sap," he teased HIM now. He leaned over to kiss him on the lips as he asked, "Ready to take him back to the nursery for a while?"

Justin gazed down at his son, enjoying the feeling of holding him again and smelling his clean, baby-powder smell. He nodded as they turned to go, catching a particular look on Brian's face as he asked him, "Brian?"

"Hmm?"

"Want to hold him?"

Brian's face dissolved into pleasure as he nodded. Justin reached over to place him in Brian's large hands as his husband held him in front of his face for just a moment to gently kiss him on the forehead before he cradled him protectively but gently against his chest, smiling down at him. His face radiated the deep love he felt for his little boy - _their_ little boy. It was one of Justin's greatest pleasures, too; watching the way that Brian handled Shay. It had always been one of his most enjoyable indulgences when Gus had been growing up, too, and was one of the things that quickly convinced him that Brian would always be a wonderful father to Gus and would NEVER be anything like Jack had been with him. In a way, that was the greatest Christmas miracle of all that Brian could turn out that way despite his father's ineptness and hatred, and he was thankful for that every day.

As Brian slowly rocked their son in his arms, a feeling of happiness washed over him. He would have never thought in a million years that this sort of life would make him feel so content, but that was the only word he could think of to describe it. No, that wasn't quite true. The words' complete' and 'fulfilled' filtered through his mind, too, as he swayed back and forth for several seconds and gazed at Shay, the rest of the party downstairs fading away for the time being.

Finally, he heard Justin sigh in regret as he looked over at him. "I guess we'd better take Shay back to the nursery and head downstairs before someone comes looking for us and wakes Shay up," he told him as Brian nodded. A few minutes later, their son was lying back in his crib, content, as they turned to join the rest of their friends and family.

* * *

_11:30 p.m. - Gus's Room_

"Daddy?" Gus whispered, struggling hard to stay awake as he lay in bed. Brian had just gotten through reading him a Christmas book as he reclined next to his son in his full-sized, spaceship bed.

When he and Justin had first moved into Britin, they had allowed Gus to pick which room he wanted for his own. Once the decision had been made, Justin got to work completely transforming it into a makeshift astronaut's dream. Gus's love of everything to do with rocket ships, Buzz Lightyear, and astrology had fueled his design theme, and now the room was a mini space station, complete with glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, a rocket ship lamp over the bed, and space-themed sheets and curtains; even star and moon shaped pillows on a curved papasan chair nearby and a rocket-shaped clock. Gus adored his room, and whenever he visited, he insisted on running upstairs first thing to see if Justin had made any enhancements to it. And this time had been no exception; since his last visit, Justin had found a computer desk shaped like a rocket ship at the local furniture store, and a new desktop computer would soon be showing up tomorrow morning once 'Santa' had had time to make an appearance and deliver his gifts. For now, it held Gus's small suitcase that had a Buzz Lightyear motif on it.

Brian leaned over to slowly stroke his son's forehead. "Yeah, Sonny Boy?" he whispered tenderly with a smile, noticing how hard it was for Gus to stay awake.

"How long until Santa comes?" he whispered sleepily as he let out a big yawn. "Soon?" He clutched in his hands a large-sized Beanie Buddy Bear dressed in a silver astronaut outfit.

Brian smiled with a nod. "Yeah, Buddy. Soon. But he won't come unless you're asleep." He laid the book down on the nightstand nearby, making sure the spaceship lamp was set on its nighttime setting, before he turned to give his son a kiss on the cheek. "Now go to sleep, Sonny Boy," he murmured as he pulled his son's sheet up to just below his neck. "Good night, Little Man," he whispered. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Gus nodded as he slowly drifted off to sleep. Brian smiled as he rose from the bed to peer down at the angelic-looking face. Just before he turned to go, he heard his son murmur, "Love you, Daddy."

Brian's heart lurched in happiness as he whispered back with incredible ease, "I love you, too, Gus," before he headed toward the door, leaving it open about a foot like his son preferred and pausing for just a moment to gaze over at his little boy before exiting to head back down toward the master bedroom.

* * *

Chapter End Notes:

_I really DO have this finished; honest - ha! It's at my beta right now, but it was growing by leaps and bounds, so I broke it up a little. The rest will be posted sometime tomorrow. Thank you for all the support! It is much appreciated.;)_


	8. A Time of Miracles - Story Conclusion

_There is one last surprise in store for the boys, thanks to Brian and...Craig? And smut alert! (wink, wink)_

The house now was amazingly quiet considering how many guests he and Justin were hosting for the night; Debbie was planning on fixing one of her elaborate spreads tomorrow morning for breakfast with Jennifer's help, and with all the bedrooms situated throughout the three floors of the house, it hadn't been hard to find guest accommodations for all of their friends and family.

At that moment, though, Brian was only focused on one particular part of his family - his husband - as he walked down the hallway, pausing for a moment to peer down below at the majestic-looking Christmas tree that was set up in the foyer on the first floor. He smiled; all in all it had been a wonderful evening, filled with family, friends, good food, laughter, and yes, love. He shook his head in amazement. His life had been quite a journey since he had been a little boy himself, but one thing was certain: he would always make sure going forward that his own sons - and his husband - knew how much they were cherished and loved.

Heading down the hallway, he could faintly make out the sounds of a light jazz Christmas tune emanating from his and Justin's master bedroom at the end of the hall; the fairly secluded location - separated from the other bedrooms by Shay's nursery and his home office - was the perfect spot for the two of them to maintain some privacy, even when they had as many overnight guests as they did now.

As he reached the doorway and peered in, he smiled. The room was cast in a warm glow from the presence of several candles burning on the fireplace mantle, bookshelves and bedroom dresser. The freestanding, oval mirror in the corner of the room reflected the candles, making it seem like there were hundreds in the room. A fire was blazing in the fireplace, the tendrils of heat curling over the gas logs.

While all that lent itself toward a warm, festive feeling, Brian's attention, however, was immediately focused on the incredibly beautiful man standing in the doorway of the adjacent bathroom. Justin was wearing a fluffy, white bathrobe and holding a couple of wine glasses in his hands, his hair gleaming under the candlelight. His eyes shone brightly as he smiled over at him. "I was hoping you would be back soon," he whispered to him.

Brian's eyes swept over Justin's appearance, his thoughts reverting back to another time in a NYC hotel room when Justin had been wearing similar attire - and nothing else underneath. He knew that his husband was recalling the same thing by the smirk on his face as he turned to close the door behind him and lock it to keep out prying eyes. What he had in mind was only meant for the two of them.

"You're looking particularly well-dressed at the moment, Sunshine...or should I say _undressed,_" he announced in a velvety voice as he walked over to accept one of the wine glasses. His eyes never leaving his husband's, he took a sip of the burgundy before setting it - and Justin's glass - down on the nearby dresser. Reaching over to grip the robe's sash, he pulled Justin closer. "How did we wind up alone tonight?" he asked as he slowly began to untie the robe, needing, wanting to see what he knew was underneath, his body thrumming with desire.

Justin smiled as he reached down to stop Brian momentarily. "My mother insisted on putting Shay's crib in her room for the night," he told him. "I admit I didn't put up too much of a protest about helping her with that," he told him with a sexy grin.

Brian's eyes darkened with lust. "Remind me to make sure Santa is very good to your mother tomorrow," he told his husband as the slow strands of _I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas _began to play on the CD player. "I'm definitely in the mood for some private celebrating right now." He leaned down to bestow a deep kiss on Justin's lips, their hands trapped between their bodies.

Justin finally pulled back enough to look in Brian's eyes. "What?" Brian asked softly.

Justin smiled almost shyly as he beseeched him, "Dance with me, Brian."

Brian groaned. "Justin...I'm horny as hell here..." Just the thought of making love to his beautiful husband forever now without any barriers just increased his desire for him even more. He felt like he was about to explode at the moment, and Justin wanted to dance first?

"Please?" Justin pressed. "It feels like such a long time since we danced together."

He sighed at the hopeful look on Justin's face; Justin always did love to dance. It wasn't a secret, too, that he was so much better at it than he. But he had to admit; next to making love with him, it was his second most favorite activity with him. So he nodded as he slid his arms around Justin's waist and began to slowly sway back and forth with him in his arms as the sounds of the carol continued to play in the background. For a while, Justin lay his head on Brian's chest as they slowly stepped in time to the music, closing his eyes and just inhaling his magnificent husband's expensive cologne, aftershave, and the unique, masculine scent that he had never smelled anywhere else. Even now after all this time he found it absolutely intoxicating.

Finally the song ended to be replaced by another, sexier, saxophone version of _The Christmas Song_. Seemingly of one accord, the two husbands stopped their dance to stare into each other's eyes before Brian whispered huskily, "I want you so fucking much, Sunshine."

Justin swallowed at the sultry tone of Brian's voice and nodded, his husband reaching down to untie the sash holding Justin's robe together and letting the ends fall to the side as the garment fell open, displaying Justin's flawless, smooth skin for his open admiration. He reached out to lightly trail his fingers over his chest as Justin shivered in response. "You're so beautiful," Brian murmured as Justin flushed with pleasure, his eyes dilating with his own desire for him. Brian reached up to brush the tips of his fingers across the full, warm mouth before cupping his jaw. He spent several seconds just staring into Justin's face, almost as if he were afraid this was all a dream, before he curled his hand around the back of Justin's neck and pulled him in for another deep kiss.

As they continued to kiss, his arms reached to shrug the robe off Justin's body as Justin began to unbutton his shirt with similar alacrity, pulling it off Brian's shoulders in no time. He then went to work on Brian's jeans, tugging the button apart and unzipping the fly to snake one hand inside his brief and squeeze his throbbing cock. Brian let out a loud moan of appreciation as he gripped Justin's shoulders and began to back him up toward the bed.

Gently pushing him onto the mattress, Brian paused for just a moment to ogle the slim, lithe, but lightly muscled body under his admiring scrutiny before he pulled his briefs down and stepped out of them, his pulse speeding up in anticipation as his dick began to leak.

Justin held his arms up toward him in clear invitation, and Brian was totally, completely lost in a haze of desire. The fire, the glow of the candlelight, the soft music playing, the knowledge that both his sons were under the same roof at the moment, and this man - this incredible man waiting to be with him in every sense of the word...His heart threated to overflow with gratitude and love as Justin opened his legs brazenly and murmured his name like a sensual prayer of entreaty. "Brian...come here..."

Brian smiled at him as he walked over to the bed and began to worship his soul mate then, starting at Justin's feet. He grasped his left foot with his hand as his lips began a slow, languorous trek from his ankle up to his knee and then onto his thigh, his hands following along right behind them as he peppered little bites on the soft, pale skin along with accompanying licks, hearing Justin making soft whimpers of appreciation as his breathing grew harsh and ragged with arousal.

Holding onto Justin's thighs with his long fingers, Brian's bangs brushed tantalizing over Justin's cock as he blew on it; it was the lightest of touches, but it was enough for his husband to gasp as he tried to arch off the bed in reaction. He was too weighed down by Brian's muscular bulk to move very much, however, except to reach down and twist some of Brian's hair helplessly in one hand while the other one clenched the sheet beside him. "Fuck...Brian...please..."

Brian raised his head to peer into the pleading, darkened, blue eyes. Lifting one corner of his mouth up in amusement, he whispered, "Let me play a bit, Sunshine. We have a lot of time to make up for. Consider it your Christmas present to me. I like to unwrap my presents _slowly_." He heard Justin let out an exasperated breath as he flopped his head back down onto the pillow in defeat, realizing now that it was going to be one of 'those' lovemaking sessions: his sexy specimen of a husband was going to taunt him mercilessly until he couldn't stand it anymore. It was half torture, half ecstasy whenever he did that, and all he could do was settle in for the erotic ride.

Sure enough, Brian deliberately bypassed his cock with his lips and his hands, crawling up his chest and kissing the skin around his navel before swirling his lips around one nipple and then the other, leaving Justin a blithering mess of heightened nerve endings. At last, after Brian had laved both nipples until they were glistening with his saliva, Brian draped himself over him like a sensuous blanket so they could look at each other face to face. Mutually groaning as their cocks brushed against each other, Justin decided two could play this game as he grabbed Brian's face in his hands and roughly pulled his mouth to his, hungrily feeding on the dark-colored lips as his tongue pushed forcefully inside to try and quell some of his desire, possessively swabbing his tongue back and forth in the hot, wet space as he bit down on Brian's bottom lip. They tongue-fucked each other for several seconds, neither one wanting to capitulate, until at last Brian had to pull back so he could suck in some much-needed air.

"Holy shit..." he barely managed to sputter out as he stared down in wonder at the tomcat beneath him. His chest heaved up and down as he struggled to suck in some oxygen. Swooping in for another, quick kiss, he stared down into the wondrous face cast in flickering shadow by the candlelight and firelight nearby, the eyes a prism of multi-colored hues and his husband's face flushed with desire, and he shook his head in wonderment.

"What?" Justin pressed softly over the look on his face.

Brian half-smiled. "Nothing. _Everything_. God, I love you so fucking much," he whispered out in a choked voice as he stared into Justin's eyes; he noticed a smile of delight flicker across his husband's face as he huskily murmured, "Roll over; I want to taste you; every _part_ of you."

He pulled back and up onto his knees just enough to allow Justin to do as he asked, his breath catching in his throat as he stared at the expanse of smooth, curved and angular skin exposed for his enjoyment. Justin's body - especially when he was lying like this on his stomach, so open for his pleasure and gratification - always caused that reaction. Everything about Justin was simply perfect: the curvature of his shoulders and back, so soft and smooth to the touch, the heart-shaped crease above his ass, the impossibly curved bubble butt that outrivaled the most highly treasured of art objects. And that's what Justin was to him: a living, breathing work of art.

Pillowing his head on his hands, Justin turned his head to the side so he could observe what Brian was doing. He licked his lips to wet them as he noticed Brian leaning over him, knowing he was about to 'indulge' himself. He couldn't wait. Brian had the most amazing technique when it came to rimming him. He was like a kid in a candy store; his lips and tongue would be everywhere as he flicked, licked, and sucked on him until he was rendered a spineless, lustful mess. He watched as the game began and Brian reached down to lightly trail his fingers down the middle of his back before he grasped his two cheeks and pulled them apart, spotting his tantalizing target and smiling down at him.

Brian leaned down and paused just above the two mounds of flesh, inhaling the musky scent that drove him crazy with desire. Yes, dry, statistic-spouting scientists would no doubt attribute it strictly to pheromones, but all he knew was that his husband's smell - and the feeling of his skin under his fingers - was like the most intriguing, intoxicating elixir to him. He inhaled deeply, his exhale warm breath ghosting over Justin's skin.

"Brian..." Justin shivered; he realized he no longer had the upper hand here; had he ever, though?

"Shhh, Sunshine," Brian scolded him, knowing his boy was getting impatient. "And no squirming," he told him as he reached down and gave the left cheek a playful smack, just enough to briefly turn it a darker pink color before it sprang back to its typical, paler hue. At least it did serve to still his husband beneath him as he rose to straddle his lower legs so he could get down to business.

Separating the fleshy globes wider, he gave the crease a wide, flat stripe of his tongue as he used his hands to not only help achieve his goal, but also prevent his husband from moving. Curling his tongue now, he poked just the tip inside, hearing Justin mewl beneath him in reaction. That was part of what drove him wild whenever he rimmed him; his husband was always so vocal and so sensitive to his touch. It gave him such a feeling of heady power that he could do that to him. Wanting to hear - and taste - more, he pushed his tongue in deeper, curling the end until he hit just the right spot...and then... his lover promptly arched his back up off the bed and cried out so loudly Brian wondered if every guest in the house heard him. Well, if they did, fuck it. He didn't care. He began to tongue fuck his man in earnest now, in and out as he grasped Justin's ass so hard there were white, half-moon marks where his fingers dug into his skin. He couldn't have stopped right now if he wanted to, not that he did; far from it. At that moment, it was hard to tell which of them was deriving the most pleasure from what he was doing. He knew if he didn't stop soon, though, both of them would come before either of them wanted to. So with great reluctance, he withdrew his tongue, feeling Justin hiss above him with a combination of disappointment and relief; disappointment that he was no longer providing him with so much pleasure, but also relief, because both of them knew what was about to happen next.

Justin knew what to do without Brian saying a word as his husband twisted off him enough for Justin to flip over onto his back. Brian experienced a brief amount of surprise, however, when Justin climbed on top of him, placing his hands on either side of his body as he told him, "I want to ride you, Brian."

Brian's desire rose another notch as he realized this was one position they hadn't tried yet since they had mutually decided to dispense with condoms. His eyes dilated with desire as he reached over to grab a tube of lube on top of the nightstand. He watched with weighted breath as Justin took the tube from him and squirted some onto the palm of his hands before throwing it down onto the bed. Brian groaned as his husband slowly stroked his cock to even more hardness as he slathered the gel onto his shaft.

"Justin..." he pleaded roughly. Grasping his husband firmly by his slender waist, they stared into each other's eyes, Justin sitting on top of his thighs. He didn't even realize he was holding his breath until he watched Justin rise up on his haunches, grip the base of his shaft, and promptly impale himself all the way down onto his hard dick.

He let out his breath in a furious rush over the sensations coursing through him; he couldn't have adequately described what he was feeling even if he could have found his voice. This sensation of wetness, tightness, silkiness, the hardness of the muscles constricting around him; fuck, it was more than he could have ever imagined. His husband's body seemed to be made for him; he felt surrounded by him, encased by him, invaded by him. And he never fucking wanted to let him go.

He watched, entranced, as Justin used the muscles in his legs to rise up just enough to pull back slightly, only to ram himself back down onto his cock. Brian groaned loudly as Justin began to rock back and forth then, angling his body so he could push Brian into him even deeper. Blindly, Brian reached around to grasp Justin's ass cheeks to ram him even more against him as Justin continued to rise and fall onto his cock, twisting his body somehow just enough to make it even more mind blowing.

"Oh, fuck," Brian gasped out as he felt his body beginning to spiral out of control. "Justin...Ahhh..."

Justin continued to undulate his body provocatively as he reached down to steal a kiss from his husband, using the palms of his hands to rub them over Brian's pebbled nipples, a particularly sensitive spot for him. He could feel Brian's cock leaking copiously inside of him now, hot and wet, and it caused his own cock to throb with imminent release. The whole thing seemed so fucking dirty and sexy doing it raw, like it was some secret, wanton deed, and it filled him with both immense pride as well as just good, old-fashioned lust to know that he would be the only one to ever experience it with this amazing man. "Brian..." he moaned loudly as he continued to ride him expertly. "I...I can't..." His face contorted as he ground his body into Brian's cock at just the right angle...

"Argggghh! Then don't, let it go..." Brian gasped out as he reached up to start stroking Justin's slippery cock, caressing it and running his thumb along the vein underneath. "I'm going to come...Justin..._God_!" He let out a loud, guttural cry as his body began to spasm and his seed flowed into his husband's body, just as Justin cried out and exploded all over their chests. He rode Brian's cock a few seconds longer until exhausted, he dropped onto Brian's body, spent, sticky, and sated, his head cradled in the crook of Brian's neck as he just lay there, Brian's arms reaching to pull him closer as his hands slid up and down his sweaty back.

They lay that way in each other's arms, Brian still inside his husband, until with great reluctance Justin moved to turn his body so he could lie beside him on his back. He reached over to locate and clasp Brian's hand, just lying there listening to the silence now, except for the gas logs crackling. The music had ended some time ago, and everyone else was now in their own beds, waiting for Christmas morning to come. It seemed so surreal in a way - to have started out in California a few days ago and now to be back home just in time for the holiday. But it felt wonderful, and the warmth of Brian's hand in his, and the way his body felt so alive at the moment, told him that it was, indeed, real.

Suddenly they heard a male voice several rooms away let forth with a bloodcurdling cry, followed by a shout of "Yes! Yes!" and then the same voice yelling, "I'm coming, Baby, I'm coming!" Then all was quiet again.

The two men turned their heads to look at each other for a few seconds and then burst out laughing.

"Oh, my God," Brian deadpanned. "Emmylou just got lucky."

Justin giggled, a response he didn't often make anymore but one that Brian still found utterly adorable to hear. He grinned over at him and rolled his eyes. "Fortunately for us, Honeycutt doesn't have my stamina, or we could be listening to an encore all night. At least the kids are upstairs, too," he added thankfully, not wanting particularly to have to explain to Gus what that horrible noise was in the middle of the night. He supposed he could always tell him it was Santa trying to direct his reindeer properly on top of the roof so he could park his sleigh.

Justin laughed as he rolled out of bed. "Be right back," he whispered as he headed toward the bathroom to clean up, returning with a couple of towels to do the same for Brian. Within minutes, the two were, yes, _cuddling _damn it, as Brian spooned up against his husband and finally allowed the weariness seeping through his bones - and the warm, familiar body cradled in his arms - to lull him to sleep.

* * *

_The Next Morning..._

Lying on his back with Justin's head on his chest, Brian's brain slowly began to register that the sounds he was hearing weren't from some dream he was having as he smiled in recognition, his eyes fluttering open to notice it was still not quite dawn. To a certain little boy down the hall uttering soft, little cooing noises over the intercom, however, it was apparently time to get up anyway.

Reaching for an extra pillow, he carefully detached himself from Justin's embrace as he placed it under his head, noticing Justin stirring slightly as he did so but not awakening. Taking just a moment to bestow a light kiss on Justin's forehead and reaching to shut off the intercom so he didn't wake Justin up just yet, he pulled the sheet up tighter around his sleeping husband's torso before rising from the bed in search of a loose-fitting pair of soft, gray sweatpants. Deciding the floor was rather cold at the moment against his bare feet, he elected to slide them into a pair of brown, suede slippers before heading toward the door.

Slowly pushing the door open to Jennifer's guest room a minute later, he could clearly hear Shay's bubbling and cooing coming from the crib set against the side wall as he seemed to be conducting a complete conversation with himself. He could see a couple of chubby legs kicking up and down in time with his speech.

Walking over to the crib, he peeked down at the wide-awake child and smiled tenderly at him; the dark blue eyes focused on his face then and smiled up at him in recognition as he emitted a pleased sort of grunt. Brian promptly felt his heart turn to mush. He smiled down at him, amazed that he could feel this way but loving every second of it. "Is it time to get up, Buddy?" Brian asked him as he reached down to pull the wriggling infant out of the crib, holding him under the armpits as he held him up at face level. "Did you have fun with your Grandma Jen?" He chuckled softly as Shay scrunched up his face and looked at him, much like Justin sometimes did when he said something he didn't understand. _Just wait until you start flashing me one of those Sunshine smiles, too, _he couldn't help thinking. _Two of you against one...so unfair,_ he added with a wry smile. He pulled the child closer to his face as he showered kisses on the soft, chubby cheeks and nose, finding himself rewarded with a couple of delighted squeals as he did so.

"Brian?" came the soft reply from the bed as Jennifer pushed to sit up against the headboard, still half-asleep. "Everything okay?" she asked, unable to help smiling as she noticed her son-in-law cradling Shay in his arms as he swayed back and forth slightly and smiled down tenderly at him.

"Morning," he greeted her as he explained, "I heard our living alarm clock here over the intercom and thought I'd come and get Shay since I knew you'd want to help Deb with breakfast this morning."

She nodded as she pushed the duvet on her bed aside, rising to locate her matching robe at the end of the bed. Tying the sash around it, she slid into a pair of white, satin, princess-style slippers before walking over to join Brian. Affectionately tousling Shay's head, she smiled as she stared into her grandson's face. "I see so much of Justin in him," she murmured, finding herself tearing up a little. Had it been that long ago that she had done the very same thing that Brian was doing right now? "You know, Justin was quite a talker, too, when he woke up. From the moment he opened his eyes in the morning until the time he went to bed at night, he couldn't stay quiet. Craig and I always used to wonder what he was talking to himself about."

"...And he hasn't quit talking since," he grinned wryly as Jennifer chuckled.

"...And you wouldn't have it any other way, either," she told him as she enjoyed watching the radiant look on Brian's face. Even when she hadn't been sure of Brian's sincerity or motives toward her son so long ago, one thing she had noticed right away whenever she had the chance to see him with Gus: this man dearly loved his children. He did back then, and he did now. And now, of course, she realized how deeply he loved her son as well.

"No," Brian admitted softly as he gazed into the angelic-looking face. "No, I wouldn't." He lifted his eyes to peer over at her as he shook his head in amazement. "Shit, I never would have expected my life to turn out this way. But now...Now I can't imagine it any other way. I guess that doesn't make sense, does it?"

She reached over to grasp his shoulder and rose on her tiptoes to give Brian a kiss on the cheek. She smiled warmly at him. "Yes, it does. It makes perfect sense." She paused for a moment. "I'm very lucky to have such a loving man as my son-in-law. Not to mention a beautiful grandson, too," she added with a smile as she looked at Shay."

"We're both lucky," Brian told her in a choked up voice as the two of them nodded. He took a deep breath, a little uncomfortable with all the blatant sentimentality. "I'll let you get dressed; something tells me my _other_ son won't be asleep for much longer, either."

She grinned. "No, I'm sure both kids won't. I'll see you and Justin downstairs, then. I assume he's still in bed?"

He laughed. "Do you even have to ask that?"

She chuckled. "No, I don't. But don't let him sleep too long. You know he won't want to miss a minute of today."

He nodded. Holding up one of Shay's tiny hands, he told his son, "Say bye-bye to your Grandma Jen. Let's go wake up Daddy, okay?" Jen laughed at his antics as he headed out the door, on his way down the hallway back toward his and Justin's room. He could hear what sounded like pots banging downstairs; apparently Deb or Emmett - or both - were already puttering around in the kitchen. He couldn't say he was surprised by that; this was the first year all of them had celebrated their Christmas together at Britin. Hopefully, though, it wouldn't be the last. As much as it would have shocked him before, the thought of that now seemed like the start of a wonderful, family tradition.

* * *

Walking back into the bedroom, Brian smiled as he walked over with Shay and gently placed him down on the bed next to his father. It didn't take long for their son to reach over and promptly clamp one tight, little fist onto a large patch of Justin's hair and gave it a pull. For good effect, Shay even let out with a loud squeal as Justin's eyes instantly flew awake.

Brian laughed as he pried Shay's fingers off his hair so Justin could turn over onto his back. He glared momentarily up at Brian before his face dissolved into a smile at seeing his husband's 'co-conspirator.'

"Time to wake up, Daddy," Brian sing-songed as he held Shay up above him. The little boy's arms and legs kicked like a frogman as Justin reached to grab him, cradling him against his bare chest as he rained kisses all over his son's cheeks. Shay chortled in delight as Justin held a little palm against his lips and gave him a noisy raspberry.

Brian's heart skipped a beat as he saw the radiant smile on Justin's face. "Good Morning, Sunshine," he whispered as he leaned down to give him a brief kiss on the lips.

Justin smiled as he pulled back. Could his heart be any fuller right now? "Morning, Brian," he murmured just as the two of them heard what sounded like the pounding of a couple of horses rushing down from the third floor. Justin laughed. "Something tells me we're not the only ones awake all of a sudden."

Brian nodded as he reached to take Shay back from his husband. "Yeah, better get some clothes on, Hot Stuff. I happen to like your attire, but I'm not sure how well that will go over with everyone else."

Justin's eyes widened in shock as he realized he was completely nude. "Shit!" he cried out as he hurriedly pulled the sheet around him and rose from the bed. Brian laughed as his husband flew into the bathroom, just in time to close the door before J.R. and Gus burst into the room.

"Daddy! Daddy!" Gus cried out as ran over and jumped onto the bed, his sister trailing along right behind him. "Let's go! We have to go see what Santa brought us!" J.R. nodded vehemently in agreement as Brian grinned.

"Okay, Sonny Boy," he told his older son as he ruffled his hair affectionately. "Hi, J.R.," he told the excitable little girl as she tugged on his waistband. "I'm just waiting for Justin to get dressed. Why don't you go wake up your Dad and Ben and the rest of the family so we can meet downstairs for breakfast? Then you can both open up all your presents."

"But, Da-ad," Gus whined. "We want to open up our presents _now_!"

"Better be careful there, Gus. Santa has spies everywhere; he's been known to magically whisk some of a little boy or little girl's presents away if they don't behave on Christmas Day," he told them, tongue in cheek as the two of them stared up at him wide-eyed. "They'll still be there until we eat breakfast. The sooner you wake everyone up to do that, the sooner we can all go see what Santa brought you, okay?"

Gus decided it was better not to take any chances as he nodded. "Come on, J.R.!" he shouted as he jumped off the bed. "Let's go wake everyone up!" She nodded excitedly as they rushed back out of the room like a whirlwind, heading down the hallway to begin banging on everyone's door and shouting for them to wake up and get dressed. Brian grinned as he walked over to the adjoining door to Shay's nursery, heading inside to find something appropriate for their son to wear.

Holding his son in one hand and searching through Shay's walk-in closet with the other, his eyes fell upon an outfit he hadn't seen before. "Oh, my God," he deadpanned. "Did someone let your Aunt Emmylou go shopping for you, Buddy?" He snorted with a sigh of defeat. It wouldn't have been _his_ outfit of choice, but it was certainly festive and befitted the occasion. He knew if he didn't put it on him, too, he would never hear the end of it.

Pulling the outfit from its miniature hanger, he assured his son, "Don't worry, Little Sunshine; I'll make sure you receive a thorough education in fashion sense before Honeycutt corrupts you too much." Walking over to place Shay down onto the changing table, he quickly got to work, attiring his son in a green Santa suit complete with red and white stockings and a green cap with a fuzzy, white ball on top.

No sooner had he gotten his son dressed than Brian heard a loud clang from downstairs akin to a cowboy's dinner triangle rattling. "Breakfast!" Debbie screeched out at the top of her lungs as Brian winced and Shay's eyes bulged in response. He couldn't help laughing at his son's imitation of Marty Feldman, the old-time, bug-eyed actor. "Don't worry, little guy; you'll get used to her...eventually."

Hefting his son up into his arms, he quickly hurried back to the master bedroom to find Justin dressed now in a light blue, cashmere sweater and a pair of dark black slacks. He had never seen that outfit before, but he certainly hoped he saw it in the future on a regular basis. "Nice," he murmured with a whistle as Justin blushed in reaction. "Where did that come from?"

"Early Christmas present from Daphne," he told Brian, who nodded. Daphne had managed a few days off from her medical residency in Philadelphia a few weeks ago to visit Justin in town, but had to unfortunately beg off from being home for Christmas.

"Remind me to thank her profusely next time you talk to her," Brian decided as he walked around his husband to get a view from every angle. "You look good enough to eat, Sunshine."

Justin's face turned warm over that statement; that simply reminded him of what happened last night, and how wondrous it had been. He smirked. "I think you had a good taste last night."

Brian walked over and kissed Justin on the lips briefly. "It wasn't a _good _taste," he told him huskily. "That doesn't _begin _to describe it."

"Brian..."

Brian sighed as he handed Shay over to Justin, whose face broke out in delight as he eyed their son's attire. "Oh, my God!" he cried out as he held his son up to inspect his outfit. Shay smiled at his father's voice as Justin added, "You look so adorable!" He turned to look at Brian. "Where did he get this from?"

Brian shrugged. "Deb? Jennifer? Santa? Elton John? My guess, though, is his Aunt Emmy Lou. It has his name written all over it. I found it hanging up in his closet."

Justin laughed as he stared at his son. "I think it's wonderful," he decided as Brian rolled his eyes. "I'll head on downstairs so you can finish getting dressed; don't take too long, Dad." He pressed another brief kiss to Brian's lips and smiled at him as he headed out the door, softly cooing to his son as he left.

* * *

_Twenty Minutes Later..._

Fully dressed now in a casual outfit of a soft, charcoal-colored, round-necked sweater and a pair of dark-black jeans, Brian peered down the hallway as he reached the landing downstairs, hearing the excited buzzes of several voices and the clinking of plates and silverware in the dining room at the other end. He knew he had to hurry before his son caught him. Rushing toward the front door, he quickly opened up the hallway closet, reaching up to retrieve the wrapped train set that he and Justin had found at the hardware store in Arcadia. Sliding it underneath the massive tree in the living room a few minutes later behind some of the other pile of gifts, he hurried to catch up with the rest of the group.

* * *

"Well, about time," Debbie screeched as Brian entered the dining room. It was a tight squeeze with so many people there - almost twenty in all, which was pretty much the capacity of their extra-large table - but they all seemed to fit comfortably enough. The long sideboard situated along the far wall was currently being used to hold a multitude of Debbie's favorite dishes, kept warm by several buffet warmers or crock pots. A griddle was even set up for custom-ordered eggs, and large carafes of orange juice and coffee were sitting at the far end. It was like the diner come to life at Britin. "Get a plate and join us," she ordered Brian. "The kids are chomping at the bit to get started on their presents, but 'someone' told them they had to eat first."

"Yes, Mother," Brian answered dutifully as he walked over to snag a white, china plate to start scooping out some scrambled eggs and a couple slices of bacon. He accompanied it with a few slices of navel orange and a mug of coffee before walking over to sit down next to his youngest son, who was sitting in his wooden highchair between his seat and Justin's. "Hey, Buddy," he cooed at him, not realizing how tender he sounded. "Where's your food? Don't tell me your daddy beat you to it."

"Brian!" Justin scolded him as his husband curled his lips under playfully. "Look at his face! He's wearing it; at least what's left of it, anyway," Justin told him dryly as Brian laughed, noticing a virtual smorgasbord of food on their son's cheeks. He could see a fleck here and there of scrambled egg, and what looked like grape jelly on his lips. Shay stared up at him and giggled as if he knew he was the center of attention.

"Well, when it comes to the Taylor men, it's everyone for themselves, I guess," he snarked as he took the end of Shay's bib and wiped off the remnants of food as Justin rolled his eyes at him. His friends began to converse between themselves as he picked up his fork and stabbed at his eggs, interspersing his meal with sips of his coffee.

He waited until there was a lull in the conversation before he spoke up. "Uh...Sunshine, remind me tomorrow to call the exterminators. I think we might have a wild animal loose on the grounds."

Gus's and J.R.'s eyes grew large at Brian's statement before Justin told them hurriedly, "He's just kidding, guys...Aren't you, Brian?" he asked him pointedly as he glared over at him with 'that look;' the same one he had used so many years ago at Michael and Ben's housewarming party when Brian had started to talk about 'plowing his seed.' Of course, it hadn't done any good back then, and he had a sinking suspicion it wouldn't do any good now. But he also suspected where this conversation was heading, so he had to try.

Emmett glanced at his boyfriend with a nervous smile; Michael coughed and Ted looked down at his food, feigning great interest in his homemade biscuits and gravy. "Uh...Wild animals?" Emmett finally sputtered out as he held his breath.

Brian nodded; he ignored the squeeze of his thigh where Justin was gripping it as he scrunched up his brow thoughtfully. "Yeah," he told him as everyone's eyes were cast on him. "Justin and I could have sworn we heard a wolf or a coyote howling in the middle of the night, you know; kind of like it was in heat or something."

"_Brian_!" Lindsay scolded him in shock as Debbie covered her mouth to keep from bursting out laughing; she knew exactly what he was referring to, and she suspected everyone else on the second floor last night did, too. She had lived with Emmett often enough to know what he sounded like in the throes of passion. Mel simply glared over at him, desperately hoping neither child would figure out exactly what that meant. Fortunately, she soon had her answer when Gus turned to stare over at his father who was sitting across from him. "It wasn't hot last night, Daddy," he pointed out. "It was cold. It has to be cold in order to snow," he told him helpfully.

"Ohhh," Brian told him with a smile. "I must have been mistaken, then," he decided as everyone left out a sigh of relief. "Cancel the exterminator, Sunshine," he told Justin. "Must have been the furnace pipes acting up again; we really do need to get that system replaced." He smiled. "Anyone else up for some more meat?" he asked slyly as he rose to walk back over to the buffet, snatching another piece of bacon and plopping it into his mouth.

Debbie rolled her eyes as she pushed back from the table, noticing that everyone was pretty much finished with their meal now. "I've got some homemade hot chocolate on the stove. Who wants a mugful with marshmallows?" She asked as she began to gather up the soiled dishes.

"Me!" J.R. cried out with glee as Gus rose to join her. "Can we open up our presents now?" she asked, not sure which adult to ask as she twisted her head back and forth to find someone to give her an answer.

"Let's help your grandma take the dishes back to the kitchen first, Honey Bun," Michael suggested to J.R. as he stood up and began to gather some of the other dishes. "And then we can all head back into the living room and see what Santa brought you two, okay?"

She bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically as she and Gus eagerly pitched in, now anxious to help get the dishes cleared away quickly so they could move onto the 'good' part. A few minutes later, everyone had gathered up a few dishes of their own, heading back toward the kitchen to pick up some hot chocolate or freshen up their coffee from the coffeemaker, leaving the two owners of the home alone temporarily with their youngest son.

Brian glanced over at Justin as he poured some more coffee from the carafe on the sideboard, noticing a slightly troubled look on his face. Justin was sitting in his chair facing him, gently patting Shay on the back as he lay across his chest.

"Are you mad at me for what I said earlier?" Brian asked him quietly. He really hadn't thought it was that big a deal, and normally comments like that usually just rolled off Justin's back.

Justin frowned for a second before he realized what he was asking. He shook his head now and offered him a wistful smile. "No," he assured him softly. "And by the way, I have a feeling that there was more than ONE 'wild critter' set loose last night. We weren't especially quiet either, you know. I just think everyone else was too polite to mention that fact," he said dryly.

Brian grinned back at him in relief that he wasn't upset, his face sobering, however, as he noticed a slight diminishing of the smile he would normally expect to see from his husband. "Well, something's bothering you," he decided. He chuckled as Shay let loose with a loud burp. "See? Even _he_ knows it." He walked over to take Shay out of Justin's hands as his husband removed a napkin from his shoulder and placed it down on the table, which was now mainly void of anything else at the moment. "What is it?" he pressed softly as Justin stood up.

His husband sighed. "This has all been so wonderful, Brian," he told him as he glanced around the room, hearing the strains of another Christmas carol starting up in the living room and the happy sounds of their friends and family.

"...But...? Brian prodded as he eyed him intently, waiting to hear the other side of that statement. "Justin?"

Justin swallowed the lump in his throat. "Maybe it's just because it's Christmas, and Christmas has always meant family to me," he began to explain as Brian nodded, waiting silently for him to continue.

Brian smiled at Shay as he began to fidget a little restlessly in his embrace. Jiggling him on his hip, he reached into his pocket, bringing out his key ring to begin dangling it in front of their son, whose face transformed into a smile of delight as he tried to reach for the treasure. Brian managed to hold it just out of their son's reach - knowing several, dirty keys would wind up being thoroughly gummed if he didn't - as he gazed with concern into Justin's face. "Justin..."

His husband let out a deep breath. "I love having everyone here. But I miss having my sister here with us. It doesn't seem right. It's like there's a piece missing."

Brian nodded in understanding, not surprised. All that talk earlier about his father - and Craig - had no doubt stirred up more feelings. And it had to hurt like hell that Justin's only sibling had been forced to spend Christmas with her father due to the custody arrangement he had with Jennifer. Under the rules set up in conjunction with their divorce, each parent was entitled to have Molly at Christmas every other year. Jen had had her for Thanksgiving this year, which meant that it was Craig's turn for the 'other' major holiday. _Weren't divorces wonderful devices?_ He thought derisively as he looked at the melancholy expression on Justin's face. "I know," he told him tenderly as he reached over with one hand to pull him closer, wanting to hold him but unable to with Shay in his arms. "I know. But you'll see her in a few days," he reminded him. Molly had promised to come over after Christmas to spend time with her brother and her new nephew before she had to return to school.

Justin nodded glumly. "At least she'll be considered an adult next year and she can choose where she wants to go then," he replied, trying to look on the optimistic side. He had no doubt where she would choose, too; for even though she loved their father, she did not agree with his bigotry and shunning of him. "It must be so hard on her to be in the middle," he murmured, not aware he had even said that aloud.

"Dad! Justin! Come on, we're going to open our presents now!" They heard Gus calling to them impatiently from the living room.

"We'll be right there, Sonny Boy!" Brian reassured him. Leaning over, he gave Justin a quick kiss on the lips. "Come on, Sunshine," he whispered. "I want to see Gus's reaction when he opens up the train set."

Justin nodded with a half-smile as he wrapped his arm around Brian's waist and headed with him down the hallway toward the festivities, pasting a brighter expression on his face before they arrived as he decided to concentrate on the good parts of the day.

* * *

_One Hour Later..._

"All aboard!" Gus shouted out authoritatively as he flipped the switch on the train set for at least the tenth time. "Ding, ding, ding, ding!" he added for effect. "Train coming!" he cried out as the locomotive began to emit steam out of its smokestack and the sound of wheels turning could be heard. The train had been set up on top of the now empty dining room table, the furniture's protective pad placed back underneath to keep the tracks from causing any scratches. The train set - one of the hottest toys of the year - came complete with sound effects, fake steam made from dry ice, several landscaping elements such as papier-mâché mountains, people, trees, cars and road signs, and an authentic-looking engineer's cap with a navy blue-and-white scarf, which was presently jauntily hung around Gus's neck, along with a silver whistle on a white cord. The matching blue-and-white cap was perched a little askew on his head as he pumped his arm up and down, crying out "toot, toot!" as the train picked up speed and headed down the track toward the far end of the table.

Mel, Lindsay, and Justin watched from the doorway in amusement. Lindsay shook her head in amazement. "I still can't believe you managed to find one of those," she said to Justin with awe. "I've never seen him so excited before." She laughed. "I'm glad we caught his performance on the camera," she told him, recalling how Gus had jumped up and down repeatedly and had actually starting crying tears of happiness over his train set. "I have _never _seen that reaction from him to a gift before."

Justin smiled as he observed the rapturous expression on Gus's face. Brian had just gotten through spending the past hour playing 'engineer' with him, only excusing himself to go take a shower. Now he had managed to rope Hunter into serving on his crew as the young man patiently helped Gus to load some of his 'coal' into several of the coal cars from a chute filled with some sort of black, dusty substance. Hunter actually seemed to be enjoying himself as well; there must be something about a train set that brings out the little boy in everyone, Justin decided. "I'm glad we were able to find it," he told her and Mel. "Maybe it was fate that brought us to that town," he added softly, thinking he would be forever grateful for their time spent there. The kindness he had seen there, the simple beauty of spending time there, and the chance to finally talk everything out with Brian - that was priceless to him.

"Justin..." Lindsay bit her lip nervously as she glanced over at her younger friend with regret. Mel gently nudged her side as she continued, "I want to apologize for what happened; with Brian, I mean. I didn't really think it out enough; that is, not until you made me realize what I was doing to him. You were right," she conceded. "Gus has had such a wonderful time here - and he can see my father anytime." She sighed as she gazed over at her son. "I don't even know why I thought it was so important now," she admitted. "I guess I just thought with Christmas and all - that maybe this was the time for miracles." Her eyes misted over in sorrow as she added, "And maybe I just thought a miracle would happen between my parents and me somehow. Now I realize how short-sighted that was." She smiled through her tears as she looked at Justin. "Thank you for pointing out to me what was really important. Brian deserved to have Gus here with him today."

Justin nodded with a smile of his own. "I'm just glad you did the right thing," he told her. "How...how long can you all stay? You know you're welcome to stay here with us as long as you like."

"We can stay a few more days," Mel told him. "But I'm due back by the end of the week," she told him apologetically. "The court schedule up there is different during the holidays than here in the States," she told him. "I have an important hearing at the end of the week, so we'll need to be back home no later than the 29th."

Justin nodded as he gazed over at the delighted look on Gus's face as he started up the engine again. "We're going to miss him when he has to head back home," he admitted before he added a little awkwardly, "All of you, I mean."

Mel nodded. "It's okay," she said softly with a smile. "We understand. You love Gus as a son just as much as Brian does."

He nodded, grateful that Mel understood that. "Yes, I do," he told her simply. He paused. "Do you think...?"

Mel's eyebrow rose in question. "Do I think what?"

Justin looked a little uncomfortable. "Do you think you and Lindsay might one day move back here?"

She and Lindsay shared a look between them before Mel admitted, "We miss living here. At least our friends. It is our hometown where we both grew up, and it holds a lot of fond memories of us. And we do feel bad that Brian and Michael can't spend more time with their kids. But until things change...After the bombing..." Her voice trailed off as that night flooded back into her mind; into _all_ of their minds. In an ironic way, it had been one of the worst days of their lives, because it had cost them one of their dearest friends. But it had also served some good, helping to bring her and Lindsay back together.

Justin stared at her intently. "Mel, you've always been the kind of attorney who fights for the underdog. You could do so much good to help pass legislation that would curb the bigotry and the hatred. We need people like you in the Pitts! It might not be so bad up in Canada, but if people like you don't stand up for what's right, how will it ever change?"

Mel sighed. "Baby, it's not that easy," she maintained.

"Don't you think I know that of all people?" he reminded her quietly. "Just think about it, okay?" he beseeched her.

She pondered that for a moment before nodding, looking over at Lindsay. "We will," she told him. "Promise."

Justin nodded, knowing that was all he could hope for, at least for now.

* * *

_Early Afternoon..._

Brian exhaled a deep breath as he stretched out lengthwise on the couch and crossed his ankles, closing his eyes as he relished the relative stillness. The house still needed tidying up a little after all the festivities, but most of their guests were gone now and with Justin taking Shay upstairs for a nap and Mel, Lindsay and Gus out visiting some of their friends, it was the first opportunity he had had in a long while to indulge in a little down time. Jennifer was presently up on the third floor, taking advantage of the Jacuzzi located in the sunroom there to take a much-needed break herself from having worked so hard to make the day a big success.

He looked up as his husband came walking in to join him. "Shay asleep?" He asked as Justin sat down on the edge of the couch and leaned over him to brush his fingers gently across his cheek.

Justin nodded his head as Brian made a little more room for him on the couch. "Yeah..." He smiled. "Tired?"

Brian closed his eyes as Justin continued to caress his cheek, savoring the feeling of being alone for a while. "Just a little," he admitted with a smirk. "Someone kept me up late last night."

Justin smiled as he slowly rubbed his finger across the bottom, soft lip. "Well, he's not the only one who was _up_," he told him sexily. He lowered himself to lay across his husband as they met for a kiss, Brian's arms winding around Justin's back to pull him closer, their legs intertwined together.

The sudden ringing of the front doorbell made them both groan in disbelief as they broke apart. "Who in the hell?" Justin growled. "We've already had the entire city of Pittsburgh out here today. I hope that didn't wake Shay up." Their son tended to be quite cranky whenever his naptime was disturbed prematurely. But there was no sound coming from the intercom nearby, so it did not appear to have fazed him. "You don't think that nanny service would be sending someone out here already, do you? Surely they're not working today."

Brian shook his head. "No, remember? I was going to call them tomorrow. The doorbell rang again then, echoing throughout the house, or at least it seemed that way

Justin huffed as he quickly rose from the couch. "Fuck, I'd better answer it or it WILL wake him up."

Brian nodded as his husband turned and headed quickly toward the door; he twisted his body to sit upright on the couch, holding his breath as he waited to see if it might be who he hoped it would be.

* * *

Justin rushed toward the front door, leaning against the frosted glass as he hissed, "I'm coming, I'm coming!" and hoping that his and Brian's son wouldn't overhear him. As he opened the door, however, all worries about their child promptly vanished as he looked at their visitor in stunned delight. "Molly? What are you doing here? Oh, my God!" He pulled her promptly into his embrace as she wrapped her arms around her big brother in a tight hug before pulling back after several seconds.

"I'm here to see my favorite brother and my favorite nephew," she teased him with a smile.

Justin's mouth hung open in shock. "But..._how_? I thought you were..."

"Don't ask me why, but Dad brought me," she interrupted him quietly in response, watching a range of emotions flicker across her older brother's face as he peered past her to observe an unfamiliar, late-model luxury sedan parked in the circle driveway, its motor idling and the driver's side window open. Justin's eyes locked on his father's in silence before he watched him purse his lips tightly together and avert his eyes, slowly driving away and never looking back. He felt a painful stab in his heart before he gently nudged Molly inside and shut the door. "I...I don't understand," he told her with great confusion as they stood there facing each other. "He actually drove you here? Why? Why would he do that?"

He helped her take off her coat and hang it up in the closet as she turned to face him. "I'm not sure..." she admitted. "I asked him why he was letting me come out here for Christmas. I couldn't believe it, either, when he told me a few hours ago to get my things packed up because I was leaving early."

"What did he say when you asked him that?"

She smiled at him wistfully. "He asked me if it would make me happy if I had a chance to spend some time with you over Christmas, and I told him yes. And then he told me that he still would never approve of your lifestyle, but he was doing it because...because he _loved_ me." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "I...I still don't understand," she told him with a choked voice. "But maybe...maybe one day..."

Justin shook his head sadly. "I wouldn't count on that, Mollusk," he told her affectionately as she rolled her eyes at the cheesy nickname. Justin knew she thought the name was juvenile, but it still slipped out from time to time. He shook his head in amazement. "How long can you stay?"

"As long as Mom's here, I guess," she told him.

Justin frowned. "How did you even know Mom was out here?"

Molly shrugged. "Dad told me she was. Where IS she?" she asked as she looked around.

Justin frowned; this didn't make sense at all. "She's up on the 3rd floor, using the Jacuzzi," he told her. "How would he know where she was? She didn't know she would be celebrating Christmas here when she dropped you off at his house last week."

"I don't know," she told him. "But here I am," she said with a grin as she held her hands out from her sides. "So are you going to make me stand here in the hallway the rest of the day? I want to see that baby of yours. And that gorgeous husband."

Justin blushed. "Molly..."

"Well, he is," she told him with a smile. "Just because he's off the market doesn't mean I'm blind."

"I think I liked you better when you were a young, pre-hormone brat," Justin teased her as she shoved him playfully.

"Ah, my fan club president," Brian quipped as he appeared then in the doorway from the living room.

"Brian!" Molly hurried over to hug her brother-in-law as Brian slid his arms around the slender girl to hug her back. She pulled away to ask them after a few seconds, "Now where's that adorable baby? I bet he's grown since I saw him last."

Justin laughed. "Molly, that was less than a month ago," he reminded her.

"So? He's your child," she reminded him. "With _your _appetite..."

"Hey!" he growled good-naturedly as she grinned back at him. "He's upstairs in the nursery asleep," he informed her as she broke apart from Brian to go rushing excitedly down the hallway. "Whatever you do, don't wake him up!" he pleaded as she waved behind her in dismissal and headed up the stairs.

Justin stared at her until she disappeared from sight, still wondering if he was imagining everything. He finally turned to Brian. "How...how is this possible? I never in a million years thought I would see my dick of a father show up here..."

Brian shrugged at him silently. Something in his posture, though, raised a red flag, at least to Justin. "You know something about this...don't you?"

"What makes you think that? I can't stand your asshole father."

"No, you can't. And neither do I. But you _do _love me."

Brian didn't bother to dispute that, at least not any longer. "What does one have to do with the other, Justin?" he asked just a little too sharply.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out," Justin told him softly as he walked up to stand face-to-face within inches of his taller husband. "Brian, what did you do?" Brian averted his eyes then, a clear signal to Justin that he had hit the nail on the head, only he still had no idea what had happened. He reached up to gently but firmly cup Brian's chin as he lifted his face enough to stare into the hazel eyes he knew so well. "Brian, tell me what you did. No secrets anymore...remember?"

Brian sighed. "It wasn't that much..." he began. "I'm actually surprised he brought her here."

"Brian..." Justin dropped his hand down onto Brian's shoulder and squeezed it. "Just spit it out."

"Well, you're not the _only_ one who's good with their hands," he told him with a smirk. "I noticed Jennifer's cellphone lying on her bed upstairs and looked his number up. And then I sent him a little Christmas greeting."

Justin's eyes widened. "Did he know it was from you?"

"Oh, he knew, all right."

"What in the world did you say to him?"

Brian gazed down into his husband's eyes before he told him simply, "I just told him the truth. I figured I had nothing to lose, and it might throw him off his game," he said wryly.

"He wouldn't know the truth if it hit him in the ass," Justin told him curtly, his voice tinged with anger as well as sadness.

"No, he wouldn't. But I was hoping there was one thing I _could_ count on: his love for his daughter. Apparently that's the only thing that matters to him."

"What do you mean?" Justin gripped his biceps with both hands as he urged him to continue.

Brian shrugged. "I just told him that if he really loved his daughter and wanted her to be happy - and not have her resent him for what he was making her do against her will, then he would man up and let her be where she wanted to be for Christmas."

Justin gaped at him. "And...He _listened_ to you?"

"No," Brian told him with a snort. "He texted me back and told me to fuck off and stay the hell out of his life."

"Then I don't understand," Justin told him softy as he thought he heard Molly and his mom talking upstairs; he could hear the element of surprise in their mother's voice. "Why would he do it, then?" he asked in wonderment. "He hates you and won't even speak to me anymore."

Brian pulled Justin into his arms, cradling his chin on top of his husband's head. "It's Christmas, Justin," he told him softly as he held him tight. "The time for miracles. That's the only explanation; just like everything else that's happened to us this week."

They pulled apart just enough to gaze into each other's eyes then as Justin's eyes glistened. "I guess it is," he agreed hoarsely as he reached up to cup Brian's face. As he peered over at his sister, mother, and his son now walking toward them, Molly cradling Shay in her arms and softly cooing at him, he whispered, "Merry Christmas, Brian."

Brian smiled down at him. "Merry Christmas, Sunshine."

* * *

_A/N: I am VERY sorry for not posting when I indicated I would. I am out of state visiting my parents for the holidays, and it was a combination of an oversight and not having ready access to the internet at times. Rest assured that I will NEVER leave a story incomplete. Never have, never will. Thank you to my readers for your support this past year. I hope I can continue to write stories that you will enjoy._


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